


Write It Off

by thundercatsarego



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2018-12-10 06:15:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 68,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11685759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thundercatsarego/pseuds/thundercatsarego
Summary: Christen is a writer for an online magazine and has been assigned to write about dating life in the city. The only problem is, she isn't dating. A new photographer, Tobin, is assigned to work with her on the project. Honestly, what do you think is going to happen? It's a fanfic.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this one a while ago and just got back around to it. I've written about half of it so the story could go a couple different ways depending on the feedback I get. It's preath endgame so come along for the ride!

Being a journalist had always been her dream. She found people fascinating and seemed to have a knack for getting them to open up to her, telling her their stories and divulging secrets to her. But above all else, she wanted to write about truth, knowing if she could write with honesty and passion and integrity, people might take to heart what she had poured out on the page. She could change minds, change lives even. This however, was not even close to her dream job.

"You want me to write an advice column." Christen deadpans.

"No, no! Think of it as a 'Love and Leisure' column." her boss, Jill, tries to deflect, knowing this isn't quite up to Christen's high standards of journalism. "...you know, how to navigate the city as a young business professional looking for love. It'll be great! You'll get to try out new restaurants, go to romantic gettaways..."

"All by myself. Sounds fantastic." her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, not exactly. We're sending you with a photographer to document it and show how much fun you're having." Jill jabs at her.

Christen sighs, knowing that most of the photographers that work there are either dumb bro types who have tried to hit on her at one point or another, or the artsy hipster guys who take themselves way too seriously.

She pinches the bridge of her nose, scowling, preparing herself for the answer to the question she was dreading. "So who's coming with me? And please don't say Dave. There's a special place in hell for you if you say Dave."

Jill lets out a small laugh, her demeanor lightening a bit. "Actually, we're pairing you with our new hire, Tobin."

Christen looks at Jill, intrigued. "New hire? Where'd he come from?"

Jill smirks. "She is a new graduate from NYU, but she's been doing freelance for some time now and had a few of her pieces featured in National Geographic."

Christen nods along. "Wow, that's some pedigree. What made her move out here? Sounds like she was living the life."

Jill shrugs and shoots Christen a coy smile, "I don't know, why don't you ask her." She tilts her head up and looks over Christen's shoulder. Christen follows Jill's line of sight until her eyes land on a feminine figure walking through the entrance. She's dressed casually in a button down and jeans, and carries a couple of bags over her shoulder with a box of office supplies in her arms. Christen tries not to stare, but can't help but let her eyes linger a second too long on the woman's deep brown eyes and wavy chestnut hair swept haphazardly over one shoulder. She's beautiful; anyone can see that, but there's something else, some kind of aura she can't quite put her finger on that has Christen gnawing at her bottom lip.

The brunette approaches the pair and an easy smile plays on her lips. "Morning Jill. I wanted to say thanks again for taking me on. I know you guys have plenty of great photographers here, so thanks for making a place for me." She says humbly.

Jill gives her a light pat on the back. "Of course. How could I pass up a talent like you? Actually, while I have you here, I want to introduce you to Christen Press. She's the journalist you'll be working with on your first project. Christen, why don't you show Tobin back to the photographer's desks so she can settle in and get to know the place."

"Yeah sure."Christen nods and watches as Jill leaves them to it. Christen looks back over to Tobin and sees her shrug and struggle to keep the various bags on her shoulder from falling. "Here, let me help with that." Christen reaches out and grabs the box from Tobin's arms, giving her a chance to readjust the bags threatening to slide from her shoulder.

"Thanks, I probably shouldn't have tried to carry all this stuff in at once. I'm just lazy and didn't want to make another trip back out to my car" Tobin jokes.

"No I'm totally the same way. I always try to get all my grocery bags inside in one go, but I always end up dropping something or squishing the bread..." she looks up to see Tobin with an amused look on her face. "Sorry, rambling's another bad habit of mine." Christen laughs with a slight tint in her cheeks.

"No, don't worry about it. It's cute." Christen would swear there was a tinge of flirtatiousness in her tone, but brushes it off. She just met this woman after all, maybe she's just friendly.

Christen shakes it off and turns to walk into the depths of the office. She sets Tobin's belongings on an empty desk and lets Tobin do the same with her supplies. "So you'll be back here with the other photographers. They come and go, so it's usually pretty empty back here unless there's a huge story that the whole office is working on. It's mostly dudes so if you get sick of them high-fiving and talking about sports, there's also a free space that anyone can work in. I go there sometimes when I can't stand the sound of computer keys clacking anymore."

Tobin looks around and takes in her surroundings. "Thanks for the tip. So where can I find you if you aren't in the free space?"

Christen nods in the direction "My desk is back there with the other writers, well, for now anyway. I have my eye on an office that's opening up since one of our other writers left to go work at another website."

Tobin smiles genuinely. "Good luck. We'll have to celebrate if you get it."

"Thanks." Christen smiles and holds her gaze into deep amber eyes before shifting and clearing her throat. "So, I'm gonna go get back to work, but let me know if you have any questions alright?"

Tobin sits at her desk, spinning back and forth in her chair. "I will. Thanks."

Back at her own desk, Christen doesn't have much time to think about her first interaction with Tobin before another is spurred on.

"Hey Christen, I have a question." Tobin whispers, kneeling down at Christen's desk so they're eye level

Christen's startled by the woman's sudden presence, but doesn't temper her sarcasm "I left you alone for twenty seconds and you already have a question?"

Tobin takes the joke in stride. "Well, it's just, I don't really have anything to work on yet and Jill said you were my first project so...what do you want me to do?"

Christen laughs. It's a legitimate question. "Oh, uh--why don't you just get settled in and then we can go for an early lunch or something and talk about the project together. I need to catch up on a few emails, but I'll come get you when I'm done."

Tobin nods, satisfied with the plan. "Ok, you know where to find me."

***

After an hour or so, Christen glances at her phone and realizes how much time she'd spent answering emails. She closes her laptop and goes in search of Tobin. When she rounds the corner, she sees the usual gaggle of guys pushing themselves around in their rolling chairs trying to shoot a foam basketball into the hoop on the wall in some bastardized rendition of office murderball. Her first instinct is annoyance, but when she sees the small frame of Tobin wheeling through the crowd to shoot a ball into the plastic dollar-store hoop, she can't help but smile at the sight.

After sinking a bucket, Tobin gets high fives all around, grinning widely and trash talking with the best of them. When her eyes finally flit up to meet Christen's, her lips spread impossibly wider, revealing a perfect toothy grin. She gets up from her chair and strides over to Christen, a little out of breath from her activity. "Hey, I was just getting to know some of the guys."

"And I see my prediction of sports and high fives did not let me down." Christen muses.

"Eh, they aren't so bad. I have a brother and plenty of guy friends. I speak fluent bro." Tobin jokes, unraveling her hair from the bun she had put it in, letting her long locks flow back down over her shoulders before tousling it with her fingers. Christen picks up the hint of her shampoo pleasantly cutting through the stale smell of the office.

"So you ready for lunch?" Tobin asks, snapping Christen from her daze.

"Yes, lunch. So there's a place about a block from here. Sometimes the office orders in lunch from there; just sandwiches and stuff. It's kinda the unofficial caterer of our company. Everyone loves it." Christen suggests, trying to mirror Tobin's cool ambivalence.

Tobin claps her hands together enthusiastically. "You had me at sandwiches. Lead the way."

After insisting on paying for their lunch, Christen leads them to a booth in the corner of the deli so they can talk and eat in peace. Taking a large bite, Christen chews laboriously until she can speak without getting food everywhere. "So Jill says you just graduated from NYU. That's awesome, congratulations."

Tobin nods, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Thanks. It took me a couple years longer than I expected, but I made it to the finish line. I like to say I took the scenic route"

"Yeah, I didn't want to ask, but you seem older than the typical 21 year old college grad."

"No that's totally fair. So I actually took a couple years off after high school to travel and stuff. That's when I really got into photography. When I got my work in some magazines, I realized I could make a career out of it and figured I should go back to school to learn the theory behind it and really fine tune my skills."

"So why did it take you so long to graduate?"

"I kept working during school, so I could only take a few classes at a time. I didn't want to lose the connections I'd made, so I needed to keep working to keep those relationships up."

"Wow, you really worked hard for this. No wonder Jill wanted to hire you."

"Well I'd like to think she hired me because I'm so charming, but I'll take hard working too." Tobin says with a wry grin, to which Christen just rolls her eyes.

"So what made you want to move out here and work for us? I mean, it's a great company and all, but it's got nothing on National Geographic"

Tobin pauses, reflecting on the question a few moments, her previous arrogance all but diffused. "I don't know. I think I just needed a change of pace--turn over a new leaf or something like that."

Christen nods, popping the remaining chips in her mouth, leaning back as she digests her lunch and this new information.

Likewise, Tobin wipes her hands with her napkin and slurps up the last of her soda before starting in again. "Alright, enough about me. So tell me about this project."

Christen grimaces, remembering just how trite the whole concept seemed to her. If she was disinterested, a world-traveler like Tobin would definitely be disenchanted with this assignment. Christen sighs, preparing to deliver the bad news. "Ok, you're going to hate this, but it's supposed to be like a weekly series on date ideas or singles events in the city and stuff like that. I had no say in this, was not my idea, I just got assigned to it."

Tobin brings her fingers to her lips, grazing them over the slightly chapped skin as she contemplates Christen's explanation. Fearing the worst, Christen is surprised when Tobin shrugs with a smile. "So we basically go on dates and take pictures and write about it, all while getting paid to do it? Sounds like a good deal to me."

Caught off guard by Tobin's enthusiastic response, Christen sits wordlessly across from the woman, mouth slightly agape. "Guess I hadn't thought of it that way." Christen finally manages to get out.

"So when's our first date?" Tobin asks earnestly

Christen swallows hard and nearly chokes on the soda she'd been sipping. "Date?!"

Tobin waves her hands out in front of herself defensively "Woah woah, I was just joking. We don't have to call it that. We can call it an appointment or a rendezvous, although, that almost sounds worse..."

Christen coughs and tries to regain her composure. "No, that's fine. I just haven't had someone say that to me in a while. It just caught me off guard is all." She jokes at her own expense.

Tobin nods suspiciously. "Huh, I see. Well, seems like we have something to talk about on our non-dates then."

Christen just smiles and shakes her head. "Come on, we should probably get back to the office."

"Yeah, what are those guys going to do without their best shooter to knock down all those threes." Tobin says as she shoots her balled up trash into the nearest trashcan.

"Oh my gosh, please don't let them brainwash you. I need someone to at least try to talk about girl things with me."

"Don't worry, I know my audience. No talking about sports on our dates--er I mean, appointments." Tobin teases.

They head their separate ways once they get back into the office and while Tobin is quickly greeted by her new loyal following of bros, Christen prefers to make a hasty retreat back to her desk so she can get back to work. As she starts researching and planning the events for her articles, she can't help but think that maybe this assignment isn't going to be too bad after all.

 

 


	2. Date 1: The Brewery

Christen looks down at her watch for the fifth time in five minutes as she stands in front of the entrance to the brewery. Sure she was a little early, but that was fifteen minutes ago. Now, at ten after seven, she stands alone tapping her foot anxiously against the pavement. "I even get stood up for non-dates. Great". She mutters to herself.

She had pinned down a time and place with Tobin for their first excision together earlier that week. After some indecisive back and forth, Christen made the executive decision to start at a brewery, figuring that alcohol may be a necessary social lubricant to make the first outing with her new co-worker less nerve racking.

With a defeated exhale, she takes her phone out of her pocket to see if she has any emails that might explain why Tobin wasn't there yet. Just as she refreshes her inbox, she hears someone yell her name from a distance. She looks up to see Tobin waving at her, half jogging down the sidewalk while holding onto the straps of her backpack as it swings awkwardly behind her.

"Christen, hey! Sorry I'm a little late. I got kinda lost and parking is terrible around here." Tobin says slightly out of breath.

The apprehension that had formed knots in Christen's stomach releases and she breathes a sigh of relief. "No, that's totally understandable. Sorry, I should have warned you about that. I always just take an uber if I'm going downtown. It's just easier."

Tobin nods. "Duly noted. I actually don't live that far from here anyway, so it probably would have been just as fast to walk. Next time I guess."

Christen gives her a questioning look. "You've never even been here before? How do you know you'll want to come back?"

A smirk forms on Tobin's lips. "It's a brewery less than a mile from my apartment. Pretty sure there will be a next time." She opens the door to the brewery, letting Christen lead them inside.

The brewery is warm and full of people milling around the bar area as workers go about their business checking on the giant tanks of beer and boiling wort in the back of the warehouse.

"This place is pretty big for an independent brewery." Tobin marvels.

Christen look around the place, eyeing the expansive chalkboard menu above the bar and the many taps beneath it. "Yeah, they're a local favorite I'd say. Everyone around here drinks their beer."

"Sounds like I need to try some then." Tobin suggests.

"I'll get the beer, you get the table. What beer do you want?" Christen delegates

"Surprise me." Tobin spins around toward the crowded area and soon disappears within the sea of people.

Christen makes her way up to the bar and leans against the counter until she gets the attention of one of the guys behind it. She orders two flights, reasoning that's the best way to give Tobin a little taste of everything. Carrying them carefully from the bar, her eyes scan the area to search for Tobin who had found a small table to stand against. Seeing Christen struggling with the cumbersome trays of beer, Tobin reaches out and takes one from Christen and sets it in front of her.

"Thanks. This looks great!" Tobin says, eyeing the sampling of beers in front of her.

Christen leans against the table, looking over the beers, hoping she'd made the right decision. "I didn't know what you'd like so I figured a flight was a good compromise."

"For future reference, I like blondes." Tobin says, picking up a glass and taking a sip.

Christen raises an eyebrow "blondes huh?" Christen insinuates suggestively.

Tobin chuckles and shakes her head. "Blonde ALES. Blonde girls, eh, take 'em or leave 'em." She shrugs, taking another sip of beer.

Christen nods along. Wait, did she say girls?

"So what are we supposed to be doing?" Tobin asks, unfazed as she samples another beer on her tray.

"Huh?" Christen's brows furrow in confusion having only been half paying attention. Her mind was still in a daze from over analyzing Tobin's previous comment

"What are we supposed to do for the article?" Tobin reiterates as she digs through her backpack, taking out her camera to adjust the settings. "...just drink beer and hang out? Seems too easy." She slides the strap of her camera around her neck and gives an expectant look toward Christen.

"Oh!" Christen exclaims, Tobin's question finally clicking. "So, supposedly the brewery has a singles' happy hour today, so I wanted to get an interview with the owner about it and you can do whatever magic you do with that camera of yours."

"What about interacting with other people? I thought the point of the series was supposed to be about where to meet hot local singles in your area. You don't want to flirt with any of these young business professionals?" Tobin suggests sarcastically.

Christen gives her a playful look. "We'll see how these beers treat me."

After a couple beers, the suggestion of mingling with other people at the brewery is long forgotten. She's too enamored by her conversation with Tobin to have a second thought about the other people milling around the brewery. The two stand and enjoy their beers, exchanging war stories of drunken college parties and their terrible taste in alcohol before their discovery of craft beer. Tobin snaps some pictures while they talk, getting candid shots of Christen and other patrons enjoying the libations.

After taking an ambitious gulp of a heady porter, the foam sticks to Christen's top lip like a milk mustache as she sets it back down, completely oblivious. Tobin smiles and snaps a picture, laughing all the while.

"What?" Christen asks with a pointed glare.

"Nothing, you just..." Tobin reaches across the table, wiping Christen's top lip with the sleeve of her flannel that smells like fresh laundry and some kind of subtle perfume. Christen's eyes lock with Tobin's and she watches as Tobin gnaws her bottom lip before continuing. "...you had a beer mustache. I had to get a picture." Tobin's lips curl into an infectious smile that Christen can't help but mirror.

"If you think that photo's getting anywhere near this article, you are sorely mistaken." Christen threatens playfully, pointing her finger at the woman.

"No, that was for me." Tobin divulges with a shyness Christen hadn't seen yet.

Before she has any more time to think about it, their conversation is interrupted by a large man with a beard wearing a trucker hat, ratty t-shirt, and rubber boots. "Hope you two are enjoying the beers. I hate to interrupt, but are you Christen--the one doing that article?" The man asks.

Christen pulls her attention away from Tobin and tries to wipe the goofy grin from her face. "Yeah that's me. Are you who I spoke on the phone with earlier this week? Matt?" Christen asks, doing her best to be professional despite her buzz.

"Yup that's me. I figured you might be a journalist. Your camera woman gave you away." He jokes, giving Tobin a friendly nudge.

"Yeah, we'd be terrible undercover reporters." Christen plays along.

"So you ladies want a tour of the brewery while we talk?" Matt offers.

"That would be awesome" Christen says, looking to Tobin for reassurance. Tobin just nods her head and follows behind the two.

"I'll grab us some beers for the road. Can you snap pictures with one hand, uh..."

"Tobin." She interjects to introduce herself. "I'm ok actually but you guys go ahead. Don't let me ruin the fun."

"Alright I'll be right back." Matt ducks behind the bar and fills up two pint glasses with dark beer and brings them back over, handing one to Christen. He leads them into the brewery, explaining the process of how they make the beer, what the tanks are for, and even lets them take a fresh bottle off the bottling line as a souvenir. He's friendly and jokes with the women, and Christen doesn't need to ask many questions as he's so open.

"So why did you start the singles' happy hour? I don't think any other brewery has this." Christen asks during an uncharacteristic lull.

Matt chuckles. "Well, this is gonna sound cheesy, but I met my wife here at the brewery fifteen years ago when we were first getting started. She was a distributer that came in to pick up orders for sellers and I thought she was just beautiful, but she only came in about once a month for the orders, so I suggested we have a happy hour at the brewery so I'd have an excuse to invite her to something and spend more time with her."

"Did it work?" Tobin interjects, intrigued by his story.

"Well, despite her better judgement, she humored me and came to our little shin dig. I knew I had to keep this going so we'd have a reason to see each other, so our weekly happy hours became a thing and eventually we started dating, and fifteen years later we're still married, and happy hour's still going strong. All thanks to some good beer on my part and some bad judgement on her part." He lets out a boisterous laugh at his self deprecating joke.

Christen grins widely at him, endeared by his sweet story. "You're open almost every day, so why the special singles' night?"

His laughter dies down and he shrugs. "I figure I met the love of my life here so why not give other people a chance to do the same. This brewery is very romantic after all." He says with a wink.

Christen smiles and lets out a little satisfied hum. "That's such a great story. And thank you again for the tour and the beers. I hope I do this place justice in my article." Christen takes a card from her wallet, handing it over to Matt and shakes his hand. "We should be heading out and let you get back to it. If you have any questions at all, here's my email and office number."

Matt takes the card and gives it a good once over before sticking it in his back pocket for safe keeping. "My pleasure. You two come back anytime. Beers on me!"

The women wave as they exit the building, both bubbling with excitement over the unexpected discovery.

"Oh my gosh, that was the sweetest thing." Christen gushes, resting her hands over her heart.

"Who knew beer could be the foundation for a happy relationship." Tobin jokes. "Speaking of beer, you ok to drive? I saw Mark slip you that fourth beer from the canning line."

"Oh, I actually took an uber over here, so I'll be fine. I just need to order it. You want me to walk with you to your car? I wouldn't want you getting lost again." Christen teases, bumping her shoulder against Tobin's.

Tobin rolls her eyes but accepts Christen's offer, and turns to walk in the direction she thinks she parked her car.

After a few blocks and some banter back and forth, they arrive at Tobin's car. Christen rests against it as she watches Tobin unlock the door and lean over the driver's seat to set her backpack on the passenger side. After four beers, Christen's gaze is less inhibited and she lets her eyes wander across Tobin's back, down her ass, admiring how she fills out her tight, distressed jeans.

With her backpack secure, Tobin pops out from inside her car, resting her arm against the open door. "So, thanks for taking me along. I think I got some good shots. I'll send them to you once I get a chance to do some editing. It shouldn't be more than a couple of days. Does that work?"

She'd had such a good time, Christen had almost forgotten that she was here with Tobin for work. Her heart sinks a little at this realization. "Oh, uh sure. That sounds fine."

Tobin shifts back and forth, still standing outside her car, bobbing her head as if nodding along to an inaudible beat. "Cool cool. You want me to wait with you til your ride gets here?"

Christen swats the air dismissively at Tobin's offer "Oh no it's ok. I'll be fine."

Tobin gives her a skeptical once over, but nods in acceptance and climbs into her car. "Ok, I'll see you at work on Monday." Tobin says with the door still open.

"Wait hold on." Christen rushes to stop Tobin from closing the door. Tobin looks up from her seat in the car, an air of concern on her face. Christen suddenly becomes bashful and stumbles over her words. "I er--can I...uh, do you want my number?"

Tobin laughs, amused at Christen's awkward approach. Christen rolls her eyes at herself "I mean, in case you have questions about the article this weekend? Don't feel pressured to work over the weekend, that's not what I meant. I mean, I work over the weekend because I don't have anything better to do and I'm such a workaholic, but you probably have a life and I..."

Tobin grabs Christen's phone from her hand and calls her own phone. "There. Now we both have each other's numbers."

Christen takes her phone back and can feel the heat in her cheeks, embarrassed by how cooly Tobin handles things compared to the rambling mess she turns into.

"Thanks" is all Christen can muster.

Tobin starts her car but before finally closing her door, she offers "Text me when you get home. I don't want to loose a writer first week on the job."

Giving her one last smile and wave goodbye, Tobin swings the door shut and drives off, leaving Christen with a dumb smile on her lips.

Once safely back in her apartment, Christen goes to text Tobin, but finds she already has a message waiting for her. She unlocks her phone to find a picture of herself from earlier at the brewery with a foam mustache, smiling widely at the camera. The text beneath it says:

Tobin: [ I couldn't resist. This was the best picture of the night.]

Christen smiles at the screen, trying to think of something witty to say back.

Christen: [Well lucky for you, you won't have to put that picture on the side of the milk carton. I made it home safe and sound.]

Tobin: [Good. I had fun with you tonight. It'd be a shame if I had to go on these non-dates with someone else.]

She's flirting right? Christen thinks to herself.

Christen: [I had fun too. Looks like you're stuck with me.]

Tobin: [Fine by me.]  
Tobin: [Have a good night, see you Monday.]

Christen: [Night Tobin]

***

Christen spends the weekend typing and editing her piece for the website. It isn't the hard-hitting journalism she'd always dreamt of writing, but she's able to insert her opinions and perspective in the article to give it some flair and highlight her voice. She and Tobin exchange some texts and emails over the weekend regarding which pictures to use for the article, but it's pretty professional and leaves Christen feeling as if she'd misinterpreted Tobin's friendliness with flirtatiousness.

When Monday morning hits, she's a little anxious about work. She needs to interact with Tobin in person to see if this chemistry between them is just her imagination or not, and quell the nagging voices in her head.

She lugs her computer bag onto her desk and starts her morning routine of coffee and emails before getting actual productive work done. While her computer boots up, she meanders into the lounge to make herself a cup of coffee. On her way, she glances toward the back of the office to see if a certain brunette photographer is in yet, but sees only and empty desk. She sighs and makes her way to the lounge.

Christen leans against the counter, scrolling through her phone as the coffee brews when she's jolted from her spot by a light squeeze on her shoulder.

"Hey, sorry didn't mean to scare you. You're jumpy for pre-coffee." Tobin tries to stifle her laughter. "I saw you in here and thought I'd say good morning."

Christen takes a deep breath to try and compose herself, letting a relieved smile fall to her lips. "No it's ok, I was just spaced out. I'm not exactly a morning person."

"Yeah me neither, hence the need for coffee." Tobin grabs a mug from the cabinet above her and places it next to Christen's. "Is there enough for both of us or do you need a whole pot to get you going in the morning?"

Christen grins. "Nope, just a cup. I'm not that big of a junkie."

Tobin takes the pot and pours the freshly brewed liquid into Christen's mug and then her own before placing it back on it's dock. "Good. My dad can finish off an entire pot before the rest of us even get a drop. He's a monster before 8am." Tobin recounts with a chuckle, bringing her mug to her chest before deciding it's too hot to attempt to drink.

"Sounds like he needs a coffee maker just for himself." Christen suggests, blowing into her full mug.

Tobin lets out a contemplative hum. "That's not a bad idea. His birthday's coming up actually. It would be a present for him, but really, it'd be a present for the rest of us too." Tobin laughs at the thought.

"You see your family a lot?" Christen asks, eager to keep the conversation going.

Tobin leans her back against the counter and dares to take her first hesitant sip of steaming coffee before she answers "I used to, back when I was at NYU. They live in Jersey so it wasn't that far of a drive to see them-- I guess visits will be more during special occasions and holidays now." Tobin's gaze falls down to her mug, swirling it around, looking decidedly less chipper than she had been moments before.

Christen's face falls, concerned she'd brought on this gloom. "Well if it's any consolation, my family's pretty far away too. They live out in California. We'll just have to keep each other company while we're stuck between coasts."

Tobin smiles lightly at this sentiment. Her smile broadens when she meets Christen's gaze who's grinning back at her sweetly. Tobin nods "Yeah, I think I can handle that."

A lull falls between them and Christen shifts, looking around the room for something to spark conversation again. Tobin finally breaks the silence.

"Sooo, did you finish the article?" Tobin draws out.

"Yeah, pretty much. I just have to pick out some pictures to finalize it. Know anyone who might be able to help me with that?" Christen asks with a smirk.

Minutes later, Christen sits in front of her computer with Tobin behind her, looking through the photos Tobin had sent her over the weekend. She points to one on the screen. "I like this one. It shows the brewery and how many people go to these events."

Tobin leans over Christen's shoulder to inspect the picture. The feeling of Tobin's breath on Christen's neck isn't lost on the writer as she sits motionless, her stomach clenching at the proximity of Tobin.

She hears Tobin hum in her ear. "Yeah, but you aren't in that one. I think the readers would want to see who's writing to them."

Christen chuckles, unconvinced. "Oh I don't know..."

Tobin remains in her spot, speaking softly against Christen who keeps her eyes looking straight ahead. "I'm just saying, if I saw you on the thumbnail for the article, I'd probably click on it."

Christen smiles to herself. "Are you calling me click bait?"

Tobin grins "Something like that."

Christen turns to find a smirking Tobin. With their faces inches apart, Christen watches Tobin glide her tongue across her lips, wetting them just so. When her eyes finally make it up to meet Tobin's, she searches the brunette, noticing something different in the amber orbs; their lightness, but their depth.

After a long moment, Tobin breaks eye contact and shifts her gaze toward the computer screen again and points. "Uh, I like this one". Tobin's voice is small and wavers slightly, a stark contrast to her usual confident cadence. "I think it goes well with the story behind the event."

Christen drags her eyes away from Tobin to look at the picture selected. She's right, it's a great picture. Christen stands with Matt, beers in hand, as they stand atop the large stainless steal boilers. The crowded brewery is visible in the background below, but what's most striking to Christen is the way she's smiling and laughing hard at something off camera--Tobin, maybe?

"And you look really happy too." Tobin points out, standing up from her spot next to Christen.

Christen swallows hard, realizing how much she enjoys Tobin's company, and how obvious she is about it. She makes a mental note to cool it with the heart eyes and try to be more professional with her funny, talented, extremely good looking co-worker.

"Yeah, you're right. I think that's the best one" Christen concedes quietly.

"I better be, I am a professional after all." Tobin teases, her cocky candor back to its usual threshold.

Christen tries to push away the swirling thoughts in her head and refocus back on the article. She clicks around the screen, finalizing the document before swiveling in her chair to look back up at Tobin. "Alright. I'm going to submit this. Any last words?"

"When's our next date?"

Tobin will be the death of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the great feedback! What are some of your favorite date ideas? If someone suggests a really creative one, maybe I can incorporate it into the story. That could be fun, right?


	3. Molly's chamber gonna change your mind

The single-life articles weren't the only thing Christen was working on. As usual, she had little things here and there to keep her busy between her main project. It's what was keeping her at the office late into the afternoon that Wednesday.

As she sits typing away, trying to complete an small piece about the dangers of plastics, she feels a familiar presence come to stand next to her.

"Hey, you're here late." Tobin remarks

Christen diverts her attention and spins in her chair to face Tobin. "I could say the same to you. What are you doing here so late?"

Tobin takes a pen from Christen's desk and spins it in her fingers absentmindedly. "I was just showing some of the guys how to use this new editing program. I must have lost track of time."

"That was nice of you, showing your secret weapon to everyone. You don't think they'll use it to get even better than you?" Christen mocks.

Tobin scoffs "Please, those guys wouldn't know art if it smacked them in the face. They're just here for the free tickets to games and photographer passes."

Christen laughs, knowing a truer statement had never been uttered.

Tobin continues. "But seriously, they're good guys. We're actually going to get some drinks at Molly's if you want to come. Might be nice to not be the only girl there."

"I thought you spoke 'fluent bro'" Christen teases.

Tobin rolls her eyes at the jab. "Yeah well, it would be a nice change of pace to talk about something other than protein powder flavors and who has the most game, although, that's not really a competition."

"Oh? And why isn't it a competition?" Christen asks, though she suspects she knows what Tobin's answer will be.

"Because obviously I have the most game." Tobin boasts, just as predicted.

Christen's brows raise at Tobin's bold statement. "Is that so? I didn't know I was working with such a player."

"Come out with us and you can see it in action." Tobin challenges with a wink.

Christen shakes her head at Tobin's arrogance, but decides to call her bluff. She shuts her computer and stands up from her desk. "Yeah, ok. Give me a few minutes to pack up and I'll meet you over there. Let's see what you got Heath."

Christen makes her way over to the bar and after getting the once over from the door guy, she steps into the dimly lit pub and searches for her coworkers. She hears them before she sees them.

Once she spots them at a booth in the back, she makes her way over to the group to find several of the photographers heckling each other loudly with Tobin sitting smack dab in the middle of it all. She's still dressed in her work attire, but the addition of a SnapBack to her button down and jeans makes her look more casual. Christen looks down at her pencil skirt and blouse, suddenly feeling self-conscious at how overdressed she is compared to the rest of the guys. But this feeling doesn't last long. She looks up to catch Tobin's eyes looking her up and down with her bottom lip between her teeth. Had it been anyone else at that table checking her out, she might have felt annoyed, but she has to admit, she kind of likes having Tobin's eyes on her like this.

With a new surge of confidence, Christen strides over to the group. "Hey guys. Mind if I join you?"

The group looks to each other, all slightly confused why Christen was suddenly interested in hanging out with them, but don't seem to mind, and offer her a seat and pour her a beer from one of the pitchers on the table.

One of the guys, Joey, turns his attention toward Christen. "Press, we haven't seen you out at Molly's for a while. What made you decide to give us another chance?" He jokes

"Well, Tobin here seems to think she has a way with the ladies. I had to see it for myself." Christen smirks toward Tobin.

"I mean, she got you here didn't she? I'd say she's living up to it already." Joey points out.

Another guy chimes in "Yeah, you've been giving us the cold shoulder for almost a year. You don't want to be seen with the peasants or something?"

"Alright guys lay off, she's here now isn't she?" Tobin tries to defend the dark haired woman.

"Yeah, Jeff is just miffed cus you shot him down that first week he was hired." Joey laughs

Jeff raises his hands "In my defense, I was very nice. Tell him Christen, you would have been all over this if you didn't bat for the other team." Jeff smiles playfully, giving her an elbow to the ribs.

Christen blushes at this inadvertent outing. She looks over to Tobin who seems to have the gears turning between her ears.

"I mean you girls are great and all, but can't we hire some hot straight girls we'd actually have a chance with?" Joey laughs boisterously.

Tobin snaps from her daze and gives Joeys a rough pat on the back. "What? You guys scared of a little competition?" Tobin eases the tension.

"I mean, not to be a nerd, but I feel like the odds are in our favor. There's way more straight girls than gay ones. I'm a numbers guy when I make bets."

Tobin clicks her tongue. "Joey Joey Joey. Haven't you heard of this thing called 'sexual fluidity'?"

Joey scoffs, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Alright miss Sigmund Freud..."

"Actually it was Kinsey" Christen interjects under her breath, causing the table to give her confused looks. Christen speaks up to clarify, "Kinsey came up with the scale of... oh never mind" Christen sits back, gesturing for Joey to keep going.

"Anyway, I say we make this a little friendly competition. I bet I can get a girl's number faster than you. Loser pays for the next round." Joey challenges, puffing out his chest a little for effect.

Tobin rolls her eyes. "Although I don't agree with this barbaric and misogynistic game, I can't sit here and stare at that shit eating grin of yours all night. Count me in."

Joey claps his hands together with a wide grin. "Alright, let me see." He scans the bar for an unsuspecting victim. "Alright, I bet I can get that girl's number." He points out a cute blonde standing at the bar. "Watch and learn." He shuffles out of the booth and walks over to the woman.

Christen's eyes dart back and forth between Joey and Tobin who seems unconcerned with the obnoxious flirting going on 30 feet from them.

Tobin catches Christen's eyes as they dart back toward her and gives her an apologetic look. "Sorry. I know this is really stupid. I just wouldn't be able to take the thrashing I'd get if I didn't do it." Tobin says, leaning over the table toward Christen.

"I know. I would expect nothing less from these guys." Christen chuckles. "To be honest, I kinda hope he gets a drink thrown in his face." Christen whispers across the table.

Tobin snickers "I know, that would be such great karmic retribution."

Several minutes later, Joey walks back to the table like a dog with his tail between his legs. "Good luck with that one Tobin. If she's not interested in this, she's just not going to go for anything."

Christen has to admit, Joey is a good looking guy and can be charming when he wants to be. He has that high school jock swagger about him and generally has pretty good luck when it comes to chatting up girls. But none of this seems to intimidate or deter Tobin, who looks more confident than ever.

She stands up from her seat and downs the last bit of beer in her pint glass. "Watch and learn boys. Some things take a woman's touch."

Christen watches as Tobin approaches the bar. She orders a beer from the bartender, casually striking up conversation with the nearby blonde. Christen watches as Tobin flashes her signature toothy grin and flirts easily with the woman. Christen can't help but feel a tinge of jealousy, watching as Tobin touches the girl's waist and runs her hand down her arm. Christen tries to participate in conversation between her co-workers, but her eyes keep finding their way over to the lanky brunette.

A little while later, Tobin returns triumphantly with a smirk on her lips. She sits at the booth and puts her phone down on the table. "Read 'em and weep boys." She opens her phone to the new contact in her phone book.

Jeff inspects the new number. "How do we know this is hers and you didn't just put a fake number in your phone."

Tobin takes her phone back, tapping out a text and sends it. Christen looks over at the blonde expectantly who pulls her phone from her pocket and smiles at the screen, offering a small wave and a wink over to Tobin.

Joey groans in defeat. "Alright, you win. Next round's on me."

The night continues and once the bravado is put aside, Christen actually enjoys the company of her co-workers. She realizes that they're more than just sports and dick jokes, and they're generally pretty decent guys.

At some point, they get up to play some pool, leaving Christen and Tobin at the booth alone. Tobin leans back in her seat, swirling her beer as she looks around the room idly.

"So I have to know, how did you get her number?" Christen asks, trying to mask the small feeling of jealousy from coming out in her voice.

Tobin shrugs her shoulders. "I just told her Joey's this asshole I work with and if I got her number it would make him look like an idiot." She chuckles.

"So you aren't actually interested in her?" Christen questions with a small sense of relief.

"Meh, like I said, I'm not really into blondes. I hate to be shallow like that, but I'm just usually not attracted to them."

"Well what is your type then?" Christen asks, her curiosity piqued.

Tobin hums to herself. "I don't know. It doesn't necessarily have to do with looks, but if I had to choose, I guess I tend to be drawn to darker features. Chemistry is the main thing though."

Christen nods her head, biting the inside of her cheek anxiously. Maybe it's the beer making her brave, causing Christen to push further. "So you see anyone here that is your type?"

Tobin takes a long drink, maintaining eye contact with the green-eyed woman. "Maybe." She smiles across the table.

Just then, Joey slides up to the table, grabbing the pitcher and pouring himself a glass. "Press, come play pool! If I remember correctly, you're pretty good with a pool cue."

"Uh..." Christen looks to Tobin, wondering how their conversation would have evolved had they not been interrupted.

"I showed you my bar trick. It's only fair if you show me yours." Tobin offers with a playful smirk.

After another pitcher on Joey's tab and a few games of pool, the group calls it a night and disband to head home.

As they walk out into the cool night air, Christen pulls out her phone to order a ride, but the screen remains black in her hand as she presses the buttons forcefully to try and spring it to life. "Shit, my phone's dead. I'm gonna go ask the bartender if they have a charger I can borrow. You go ahead. I'll see you tomorrow."

Before Christen can turn back toward the bar, Tobin grabs her wrist. "Don't do that. My apartment's right down the road. You can charge it there." She says matter of factly.

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude." Christen asks

Tobin scoffs. "Really, it's no big deal. I don't mind at all." Tobin zips up her jacket and rubs her hands together "Now come on, it's getting cold."

They walk side by side until they reach Tobin's apartment not five minutes later. Tobin unlocks the door and ushers Christen into the warmth of her home. Christen looks around the apartment, taking in the rather expensive looking furnishings. "Wow, Tobin, your place is beautiful." Christen says in awe.

Tobin lays her jacket over a nearby chair, shrugging her shoulders. "It's a little much for me, but my realtor friend that lives out here insisted that this was the place to be, and I do love the location."

"This place must cost you a fortune." Christen ponders aloud.

"National Geographic was generous." Tobin states humbly as she walks into the kitchen, opening the fridge. "There's a charger on the kitchen counter if you want to plug in your phone. You want a beer while we wait?" Tobin says with her head in the fridge

Christen walks into the kitchen and plugs in her phone, leaning against the counter. "I'm kind of over beer tonight to be honest. You have anything a little stronger?"

Tobin closes the fridge and turns toward Christen with a grin "Whiskey?"

Christen gives a nod of approval.

Tobin hums as she digs out a bottle from a lower cabinet, pouring two glasses before leading them into the living room where they sit comfortably next to each other on the couch.

They sit silently sipping their drinks before Tobin breaks the silence. "So I wouldn't have pegged you as gay."

Christen nearly chokes on her drink, causing Tobin to laugh heartily. "Sorry. When Jeff said you bat for the other team, I assume he means you're gay and not like, an alien or something."

Christen smiles and lets out a laugh. "I'm human, sorry to disappoint. Why are you so surprised I like girls?"

Tobin shrugs "I don't know. Your makeup and hair is always perfect, you wear pencil skirts, not to mention your nails are kind of long for a lesbian. I feel sorry for your next girlfriend." Tobin jokes, feigning a grimace.

Christen swats at Tobin's arm and scoffs. "Whatever, she would be lucky to have these fingers. Nails and all."

Tobin laughs and relents "Ok, ok. Whatever you say." She clutches her stomach as their laughter dies down. Relaxing into the couch again, Tobin takes another sip of her drink before speaking again. "So I told you my type earlier. What would you say yours is? I'm curious."

Christen debates deflecting the question or making a joke about it, but the genuine interest in Tobin's eyes makes her answer truthfully. "I guess I have similar taste as you. Not really into blondes, but personality is what really makes or breaks it for me. I have to have that connection, you know? Like, that feeling when it's just easy to be with the person and the butterflies in your stomach make you excited instead of nervous. Someone I just click with, I don't know." Christen says self-consciously, afraid she had divulged too much about herself

But Tobin sits next to her, nodding along without judgment. "No, I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes it doesn't matter what they look like or what their weird quirks are. If it's right, it's right. But it doesn't hurt if she's beautiful."

Christen looks up from her lap and finds Tobin's gaze. They quietly smile at each other and Christen watches as Tobin scans Christen's face, her eyes darting to her lips on more than one occasion. Christen wonders what would happen if she were to lean forward and kiss the beautiful woman in front of her.

Before Christen's able to ponder this further, Tobin downs the rest of her drink and gets up from the couch. "You want another?" She offers, changing the subject.

Christen looks toward the clock in the kitchen and realizes how late it is. "No, I've overstayed my welcome already. I should get home and let you get to bed." She walks past Tobin into the kitchen to retrieve her phone and order a ride. "Thanks for letting me barge in on your night and steal your charger."

"Don't worry, I'll send over a bill in the morning." Tobin teases.

They make their way over to the front door and stand face to face, waiting for the other to make the first move. "Well, I should go downstairs. my ride will be here any minute." Christen hesitates in the doorway.

"You want me to walk you down?" Tobin offers, reaching for her jacket.

"No, you don't need to do that. I'll be fine." Christen dismisses, although she must admit she'd like the extend her night with Tobin, even if it is for just a minute more.

Christen's surprised as Tobin steps into her, wrapping her arms around her waist and pulling her into a tight hug. Christen's arms instinctively wrap over Tobin's broad shoulders, her head dipping easily into the crook of her neck. "I'm glad you came out tonight. We should do it again soon." Tobin coos quietly in her ear.

Tobin unfurls her arms from Christen's waist, stepping out of their embrace. Christen offers Tobin a closed mouth grin. "Next time it'll be just us on our date."

Tobin's mouth opens slightly, obviously caught off guard by Christen's statement. "We have an article series to finish after all." Christen winks, glad that she isn't the only one to be speechless tonight.

"Bye Tobin" she says stepping out into the hallway. "See you at work."

 


	4. Date 2: Rock on the Lawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading everyone! I'm trying to get these chapters out quickly, but I want to make sure the chapters are quality so I measure up to the other great stories that are coming out. The feedback has been amazing and I'll try and incorporate some of the date ideas into the story as I go along. Anyway, enjoy

When Friday finally rolls around, Christen spends most of the morning daydreaming through her meetings and pretending to look busy on her laptop, though her thoughts keep flitting to the brunette in the back of the office. Since the night at the bar and subsequent revealing conversation, their playful jabs and teases had escalated into full on flirting. They had even started referring to the article excursions as dates now, in a mocking sort of way of course.

So when Christen sees Tobin sauntering over to her desk that afternoon, she smiles at the familiar butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

"Hey, how's your Friday going?" Christen asks to break the ice.

"Not bad. I'm supposed to go on this date tonight, but the girl hasn't told me where we're going yet." Tobin offers wryly.

Christen hums and taps her chin. "Well that's not very considerate of her. Maybe she's still trying to decide what you'd want to do tonight."

Tobin chuckles a little at this "I could help with that, what are you thinking?" She asks, breaking character and leaning over Christen's shoulder to look at her computer.

Christen clicks through several windows on the screen. "So there's a go-cart place..."

"Pass" Tobin says curtly, surprising Christen a little. "Sorry, traumatic childhood birthday party experience." She explains. "What else."

Christen clicks on another site. "There's this thing called 'Rock on the Lawn'. It's like a free concert in the park. You can bring a blanket and picnic or whatever, and local bands come play for a few hours. I thought that could be fun."

Tobin squints as she reads the small description on the website. "Yeah, that sounds great. What time does it start?"

"Not until 8, but I figured that would give me enough time to change and go to the store to grab some food for a picnic."

Tobin stands up and nods her head in approval. "Cool. So I'll just meet you there..."

Christen waves a hand in the air dismissively to interrupt "No, I'll come pick you up. Parking can get crazy down there so it would make more sense to just bring one car. That way we won't have to search for each other through the crowds either."

Tobin crosses her arms in front of her chest, eyebrows raised. "Well you seem to have it all figured out."

"What can I say? I know how to treat a lady." Christen winks. "So I'll come by around 7:30?"

***

Christen sits in her car outside of Tobin's apartment, waiting for the photographer to come down after texting her she'd arrived. Christen sees the gate to the alleyway open and watches as Tobin searches the area for Christens car, dressed in a loose fitting band t-shirt, ripped jeans, and familiar camera backpack. Christen honks her horn to grab the woman's attention and Tobin jogs over to hop in the car.

"Don't you look the part." Christen mocks, commenting on Tobin's grunge look.

"I really want to fully immerse myself in the experience you know." She jokes back sarcastically. "You got everything? Can I chip in for the food or something?"

Christen pulls out into the street to drive over to the park. "No way. This date is brought to you on the company's dime. We're getting the VIP experience." Christen looks over toward Tobin who's smiling widely at her. "What?" She questions with a small laugh.

Tobin shakes her head. "Nothing. You look nice. It's just different not seeing you in work clothes."

Christen smiles and looks back to the road in an attempt to hide the blush in her cheeks. "Oh, thanks I guess. Yeah I didn't think a pencil skirt would be very comfortable sitting on the lawn."

They share a laugh and soon fall into a comfortable conversation as they make the quick drive to the park. Tobin helps scout out a parking spot not far from the event and is impressed with Christen's parallel parking skills. They grab the blanket and picnic stuff from the trunk and make the walk over to the throng of people to stake their claim on a spot of grass. Once they're situated on the blanket, Christen pulls out a collection different cheeses, crackers, fruits, and cake balls that were an impulse buy while standing in the checkout line.

"Wow, this is quite the spread." Tobin states, looking over all the choices before popping a piece of pineapple in her mouth. She pulls out her camera and takes a few pictures of the crowd.

"So are you impressed?" Christen asks with bravado, though she really is hoping to impress Tobin with her effort.

Tobin lowers her camera, shifting closer to Christen. "Very." She picks her camera back up to her eye and snaps a few pictures of Christen, who, despite her protests and eye rolling, likes having Tobin's attention on her.

They sit side by side picking at the snacks and making conversation, commenting on people as they drift through the crowd. The sun finally makes its way below the horizon and the first band starts their set. The two enjoy the music, their conversation spattered here and there between songs. During a slow melodic song, Tobin starts swaying to the music as they sit, brushing her arm against Christen's with every beat. Once the song ends, Tobin's arm stays pressed against Christen's and Christen leans into her further to ensure the subtle contact continues.

The first band finishes their set and there's a lull in the music as they wait for the next band to get set up. Christen fidgets with a thread on her torn jeans as they sit silently next to each other. "So what did you think of the band?" Christen asks to break the silence.

"They were pretty good. The drummer looked so intense when he was playing. Like..." Rather than finishing her statement, Tobin launches into an enthusiastic re-enactment, playing the air drums wildly.

Christen chuckles as she watches the woman getting into it and making sound effects as she goes. "What did you think?" Tobin counters when she finishes her demonstration.

Christen shrugs. "I liked it. I don't know, I'm not really a good judge of music. I'll listen to just about anything, it just depends on my mood."

Tobin hums. "Give me an example. Like, what would you listen to if you were cooking dinner at your place, no one around to hear you singing along terribly to the music."

Christen swats at Tobin's arm "I do no sing terribly!" She lets out a giggle at Tobin's jab but answers the question. "I'd probably listen to something upbeat like top forty or pop, maybe some broadway if I'm feeling especially cultured that night."

Tobin continues to question "Nice. Didn't expect broadway, but I can respect that. Ok, what about at work when you're trying to get an article done. What do you listen to?"

Christen ponders the question for a moment, trying to think what she usually queues in her Spotify playlists. "Hm. I guess I listen to more mellow stuff, like acoustic singer-songwriter music or maybe like a low-key indie band. Something to relax me." Christen smiles at her next thought. "Can I tell you a secret?"

Tobin shares her grin and nods with a skeptical look in her eyes. Christen continues "Sometimes I'm not even listening to music and I just put my headphones on so people won't bother me."

Tobin gives her an overly dramatic look of shock, bringing her hand up to her chest and gasping audibly. "What?! Christen Press how could you? You're bad..." she teases.

Christen just shakes her head "Oh whatever. I have to put my headphones on or I'd never get anything done because _some_ _people_ like to come over to my desk every thirty minutes to borrow a pencil or ask questions she already know the answer to." Christen insinuates sarcastically.

A blush creeps onto Tobin's face and she grimaces slightly. "Sorry, I didn't know I was bugging you that often."

"Oh, no I didn't mean it like that." Christen tries to redact her statement. "I was just kidding. I like when you come over and distract me, I promise. I'd much rather talk to you than write about the proper use of emojis in text conversations, trust me."

The levity returns to Tobin's face as she shoots Christen a smirk. "Wow, gotta say, that's a pretty low bar. I would hope I'm more interesting than that."

Christen smiles genuinely at her, "You're much more interesting."

Tobin seems to be somewhat embarrassed by this compliment and lets out an awkward laugh, looking away from Christen toward the crowd as if contemplating something in her head. She shifts on the blanket and seems to regain her composure after a few moments. "Ok, here's one. Say you bring a girl back to you apartment after a night out. What kind of music do you play to, you know, set the mood."

This time it's Christen who looks away, somewhat embarrassed by the question.

"I mean, I'm assuming you've had girls over to your apartment right?" Tobin challenges, egging Christen on.

It works, and Christen scoffs at Tobin's assertion. "Yes, I've had girls over before, I'm not a complete prude." She crosses her arms in front of her chest defensively.

Tobin continues to pry. "Ok, so what music do you play? Smooth jazz, rap, no wait, you don't play guitar do you? I could totally see you serenading a girl." Tobin teases, now testing out her air guitar skills.

"Keep it up." Christen reprimands sarcastically.

"Ok ok, sorry. I really do want to know." Tobin calms her laughter, seemingly more genuine now.

Christen clears her throat and lets out a sigh. "If you must know, I'm an R&B kinda girl." She states matter of factly.

Tobin nods at this new information. "Huh, guess we have that in common."

Before Christen has time to process this admission, Tobin's questioning her further. "So you listening to any R&B these days?"

Christen lets out a groan. "Uh, no. I told you, I haven't been dating for a while."

"You don't have to be dating to get some you know. That's why they call them 'one night stands'..." Tobin puts her finger to her chin and smiles devilishly "...though, there usually isn't much standing going on."

Christen scoffs and rolls her eyes for what seems like the hundredth time tonight. "Well not all of us are players and can just hook up with girls like it's no big deal. Some of us like to have a connection first."

Tobin backs off and she lets down her arrogant facade. "I know, I'm just messing with you. I don't usually do the one night stand thing too often either. I just like seeing you squirm."

Tobin leans back on her arms and looks out toward the stage where the band is finishing it's sound check. "I guess if I ever hear R&B music at your apartment, I'll know I've made the cut huh?" She lets out a chuckle.

"You should be so lucky." Christen returns the joke, playing along.

Christen expects Tobin to offer a snarky comment in response. Instead, Tobin just hums in acknowledgment and continues to look ahead at the stage. It's not quite the reaction Christen was expecting, but before she has much time to process it, the band starts it's first song, drowning out any chance for thought with loud power chords and aggressive drumming.

Eventually, the families start filtering out as the night wears on and more young people fill the lawn, the distinct smell of weed lacing the air. Christen watches as Tobin rummages through her backpack, presumably to grab her camera to take more pictures. Christen's surprised to see Tobin spin toward her with a joint and lighter in hand instead.

"Do you mind?" Tobin asks innocently

Christen shakes her head, knowing they'd never be picked out in the mass of people all doing the same thing. Christen watches Tobin strike the lighter and shield the flame from the wind until the end of the joint catches and glows a deep orange. She inhales deeply and removes the joint from her lips, holding the smoke in her lungs before releasing it slowly into the sky above her. Christen watches the routine in slow motion, eyes fixed on the way the smoke dances between Tobin's parted lips and how her tongue sweeps across the soft pink skin to taste the remnants of flavored paper left there.

Mesmerized, Christen is shaken from her daze by a nudge. "You want some?" Tobin extends the joint toward Christen. Despite her better judgement, she takes a small hit and coughs a little at the unfamiliar burning in her lungs.

Gaining her breath back she chokes out. "Sorry, its been a while. I haven't smoked since college."

Tobin chuckles. "Yeah I don't do it often, but I figure I'd bust it out for a special occasion."

"Special occasion?" Christen questions

"A night in the park with a pretty girl listening to music. Seems self-explanatory."

"Stop" Christen whines

"What?" Tobin questions mischievously

Christen rolls her eyes, embarrassed by the compliment. "Don't be an ass."

"I'm just pointing out the obvious. Just take the compliment." Tobin says innocuously as she falls onto her back against the blanket, eyes fixed toward the starry sky.

Christen looks down at her, biting her lip, trying to figure out the words she needs. "You should be careful with the sweet talk, I might just fall for it one of these days."

"That's the idea." Tobin says quietly, almost to herself.

Christen's brows knit together "Tobin, are you..."

"Just enjoy the music Chris." Tobin's eyes remain fixed to the sky.

Christen's head swims with questions that she wants to ask, but every time she opens her mouth to speak, the words refuse to roll from her tongue and she closes her lips unsatisfied. Until now, Christen had tried to reign in her thoughts of Tobin, content to just let the harmless flirting continue. But it was getting harder to stop the thoughts from creeping in, especially as their playful banter seems to start carrying more weight.

Resigned to her cowardice, she simply follows Tobin's lead and lays next to her on the blanket, letting the music drift into her ears and push out the racing thoughts in her mind. She briefly glances at Tobin who seems equally lost in thought as she gnaws on the inside of her cheek. Christen takes this opportunity to scoot in closer and rest her head against Tobin's shoulder, giving in just a bit to the growing tension between them. Christen hears Tobin exhale deeply and her shoulder relaxes beneath Christen's head, a sign that maybe she wasn't the only one feeling it.

They remain in this position until the band plays their final song. It's well past midnight by this point, and Christen can't stifle the yawns that escape her throat as they pack up to head home.

They remain relatively quiet in the car ride home, both sleepy and a little lost for words, a thick veil of awkwardness resting between them now, both seeming to realize that these 'dates' are starting to be a little more than friendly, and way past professional.

When they get to Tobin's apartment, Christen throws the car in park and turns her attention toward Tobin. "So you think you got some good shots tonight?" She asks, trying to recreate the lightheartedness from earlier in the night.

Tobin nods her head silently, still brooding over something.

"I had a good time tonight." Christen offers in an attempt to pull the brunette from her thoughts.

Tobin nods silently again. She fidgets in her seat, picking at her fingernails, clearly distracted as she gains the courage to speak. "Do you want to come up for a drink or something? No R&B music, I promise." Tobin jokes, but there's an uncharacteristic trepidation in her voice, making Christen realize this might be more than just a friendly invitation.

Christen sighs, running her hand through her hair "Ah, I shouldn't."

Tobin's eyes dart back down to her lap as she nods, "Yeah-- no, you're right. It's pretty late."

Christen's face falls sympathetically. "Yeah, I'm just super tired. I think that weed got to me." She jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

It seems to work, and Tobin's classic smile returns to her lips as she gathers her belongings. "And here I thought you were such a square."

Christen rolls her eyes playfully. "What can I say, I'm full of surprises."

"I like surprises." Tobin lets out a chuckle as she slides out of the car and steps out onto the street. "Alright sleeping beauty, have a good rest of the night. See you Monday."

Christen offers a small wave, smiling at Tobin's term of endearment. "Bye."

Tobin shuts the car door and walks through the gate to head up to her apartment. Christen lets out a heavy sigh, rubbing her hands over her face before shifting into drive and heading home. 


	5. History Eraser

"I have a very important question for you." Christen says after removing the earbud from a surprised Tobin's ear.

"Hey! What??" Tobin yells obliviously, the music still playing loudly on her ear.

Christen cringes at the volume of her voice but giggles at how unaware Tobin is of her shouting. She motions to take out the other earbud to which Tobin complies.

"I said I have a very important question." Christen reiterates

"Ok, shoot." Tobin looks up at Christen from her spot on a beanbag chair in the free space.

"I'd rather not discuss it here. Can we go to my office and talk about it." Christen says, trying to fight back a smile.

"Your...wait. Did you say your office?!" Tobin says with a grin, her volume returning to its previous level. She slaps her hand over her mouth to try to control it. "Chris! You got the office?" She whispers harshly, trying to contain her excitement.

Christen nods with a wide grin.

"Well come on, let's see it!" Tobin slams her laptop shut and pops up from her spot, hurrying toward the offices. Tobin reaches the office first after basically jogging there and looks back toward Christen, asking permission to open the door. After Christen gestures for her to enter, Tobin pushes the door open and looks in awe around the small, but cozy office.

"Wow, this is great!" Tobin marvels. Christen thinks Tobin might be more impressed with it than she is. "How did you finally get it?"

"I basically begged for it. " Christen chuckles. "Plus, I'm the only writer that comes in every day, so I told Jill it made sense that I have my own space since I'm here the most."

"Makes sense to me." Tobin offers, still eyeing the pictures on the wall and finally coming to rest in Christen's desk chair, spinning in it to test it out. "So you know what this means."

Christen shakes her head, confused.

"We have to celebrate. I told you we would if you got the office. I like to keep my promises." Tobin explains.

"I do have another date article I need to do before the week's over." Christen ponders aloud.

Tobin shakes her head, displeased with the statement. "No, I'm taking you out. Non-work related. No writing, no cameras, just you and me, off the record. Let me take you out to dinner to celebrate."

A smile finds its way to Christen's lips. "Yeah, ok. I haven't had a non-work related dinner in a while. Where should we go?"

Tobin gets up from the chair to stand in front of Christen. She bops her on the nose with her index finger "Just leave that to me. I'll be back at the end of the day with the plan."

***

Sure enough, by the end of the day, Christen looks up from her computer to find Tobin leaning against the doorframe of her office. "I have a plan." She announces.

Christen leans back in her chair, giving Tobin her full attention. "Ok, tell me your plan." She teases with a smile.

Tobin takes a step onto the office and sits on the arm of the couch against the wall. "It's a little early for dinner, so I thought we could get a drink or two first and then walk over to the restaurant. I took a risk, I hope you like sushi."

"Yeah, sushi's great!"

"Ok phew. I was hoping you'd be ok with that. I forget that not everyone is ok with the whole raw fish thing."

Christen chuckles. "What would have happened if I said I wasn't a fan?"

"We would have been doing a lot more drinking until you were drunk enough for me to convince you it was ok." Tobin laughs.

"Well it's a good thing you didn't have to resort to that. I hate being a sloppy date." Christen blurts out, not thinking about how she worded her phrasing.

Tobin smiles at Christen's statement, looking a little bashful, but doesn't say anything to correct Christen's label of herself. She clears her throat. "Uh, anyway, I'll be in the back. Just let me know when you're ready to go." Tobin slinks off, leaving Christen to overanalyze their conversation.

Christen changes into a spare tshirt and jeans leftover in her gym bag, hopeful that the febreeze in her car is enough to hide the smell of sweat and blue Gatorade lingering in the fabric. She tousles her hair in the mirror and gives herself one last once over, hoping that her casual attire is appropriate for wherever they end up. She walks into the back cubicles and finds Tobin shooting the foam ball into the hoop on the empty wall. When Tobin sees Christen, a small smile forms on her lips and the ball is all but forgotten.

"You changed." Tobin points out.

"Oh--yeah, sorry. Is this ok? I can change back if I need to."

"No! No, that's perfect. You look great just like that." Tobin divulges, taking in Christen's full outfit. "I figure we can go to the bar down the street first and get some drinks while we wait for the reservation."

Christen quirks an eyebrow incredulously "Reservations? Are you sure I don't need to change back?"

"No, really--you look amazing." Tobin concedes with a genuine smile, causing Christen's cheeks to heat up at the way Tobin's admiring her. "Now lets get out of here before the custodians lock us in for the night."

Several blocks later, they find themselves at a trendy bar. The tabletops are made of natural slabs of tree trunk and the whole place has a very 'lumberjack hipster' vibe going on. The place is known for it's craft cocktails, so Tobin orders them a couple of drinks whose names are so cheesy, she can't decide if they're supposed to be ironic or not.

When their drinks arrive, Tobin raises her glass toward Christen. "Cheers. May your new office be a quiet sanctuary from the clacking keystrokes of other writers."

"Here, here!" Christen says enthusiastically, clinking their glasses together.

After taking a long sip, Tobin starts up conversation. "So how are the articles coming? Are you getting good reviews?"

Christen shrugs and sets her drinks down. "It's going ok. I try not to read all the comments about it, but they seem to be fairly complimentary. People seem to like our dates."

"That's good. It's annoying when people just comment to be a dickhead for no reason."

"Well, there is this one guy who keeps popping up." Christen trails off

Tobin's lips purse together, disgruntled. "What does he say?"

Christen sighs. "It's nothing, just a guy being stupid. He says I must be a bitch because I'm hot but still single."

Tobin rolls her eyes. "Oh come on, that's bullshit. He's probably just pissed cus he knows he'll never get a date with you. Fragile masculinity." Tobin pauses between thoughts, a smirk forming on her lips. "He is right about one thing though, and it's not the bitch part."

Christen shakes her head with a smirk, knowing where this could end up if she lets it continue. "Tobin..." she whines

"Fine, alright. No more complimenting you or telling you how awesome, or beautiful, or charming you are. I get it." She says with a wry smile.

Christen opens her mouth to protest but the heat in her cheeks causes her to look away from the now beaming Tobin. She takes a slow drink to hide the shy smile forming on her lips.

A beat passes, but Tobin still seems stuck on their current topic. "So I have to ask, and just tell me if this is none of my business, but why are you single?"

Christen scoffs, frowning at Tobin's question. "You sound like my mom."

Tobin cringes and backpedals "Sorry, let me rephrase that. I just mean, you're pretty great--I just don't see how you could still be on the market."

Christen lowers her drink, sighing as she tries to find the words to answer the question she'd asked herself countless times before. "I don't know. I work a lot. I'm busy..."

She looks up to meet Tobin's gaze who looks at her expectantly, knowing there's more to the story. She lets out a deep breath and continues. "Ok, full disclosure? So I moved out here like five years ago with my girlfriend. She got a great job offer so I followed her out here since I had nothing else really going on at the time, and I was convinced she was the one and we were going to get married some day."

"So what happened?" Tobin asks, urging Christen to continue.

"We were fine for the first couple years, but I was having trouble finding work. Meanwhile she's doing great and making friends with her coworkers and getting promoted. I was really happy for her, but at the same time I was alone in this new city and she was my only lifeline. Whenever we went out, it was with her friends and they always talked about work and had all these inside jokes; I felt like an afterthought. Eventually I finally started working for this company and it was such a weight off my shoulders. I was making friends with people in the office and making money finally, but my girlfriend wasn't happy for me like I thought she would be. I guess she wanted a housewife to take care of her and let her go out with her friends all night. I wasn't into that, I wanted a career. We tried to make it work, but we just fought all the time. Eventually, I moved out and we broke it off for good. That was, let's see, two years ago. Now here I am, single and ready to mingle despite deep rooted trust issues and a crippling fear of rejection."

Christen lets out an exasperated sigh and shakes her head at herself. "Sorry, that was a lot to dump on you. You probably didn't want to know all that."

"I asked. It's good to have context for someone's life. It explains a lot." Tobin offers

"So what does it explain about me? That I'm damaged and too picky?" Christen questions.

"No, not at all. It sounds like you want that intimacy with someone, but you also need space to be your own person and accomplish your own goals. That's not being picky, you just want balance."

"Yes, exactly!" Christen says, exasperated. "Relationships should be equal, not one person doing their own thing and the other waiting around for them."

Tobin finishes off the remaining drops of her drink. "Well I guarantee there are girls out there who would want that too. You just gotta put yourself out there. She'll come when the timing's right."

Christen nods, acknowledging Tobin's affirmations. Tobin looks toward her watch. "Speaking of timing, we should probably head to the restaurant soon."

They make it to the restaurant right on time and, looking around at the crowd, Christen's glad Tobin made the reservation earlier that day. Once seated and settled in, they order a few different rolls to share and enjoy each other's company. Despite the bustling dining area, Christen can't take her eyes off the brunette across from her. She listens intently, hanging on every word as Tobin tells stories of her adventures traveling the word. She doesn't boast or tell stories just to impress, they're genuine and full of humility and humor.

They're finally pulled from their bubble when the waiter comes over for the third time to see if they need anything else in a polite attempt to hurry them along. Tobin takes the hint and asks for the check, making sure to leave a generous tip for holding the table so long.

Once outside, Christen sees that the sun has set long ago and a chill in the air pulls goosebumps onto her skin. She inhales, about to comment on the cold, but before she can get the words out, she feels a strong arm wrap around her shoulders in an attempt to shield her from the bitter wind.

"It's kinda chilly." Tobin comments simply.

Christen nods and happily lets Tobin lead them through the street back toward their office building. At the back door, Christen enters the code on the keypad to get them inside and out of the cold night air. They weave through the dark office, their path illuminated only by computer monitors here and there until they reach Christen's office. She pushes the door open and flicks on her desk lamp, opting to leave the harsh fluorescent overhead lights off.

She turns back around toward Tobin. "Thanks again for taking me out. I forgot how fun it can be to do things not related to my job." She jokes.

"Of course. I'm glad you had fun."

Several beats pass between them while they both try to think of something to fill the silence. "Did you have anything you needed to grab from your desk before we head out?" Christen asks.

"No, I put all my stuff in my car before we left." Tobin's says, gesturing toward the parking lot.

Christen laughs lightly. "You could have just headed home then. You didn't need to walk in with me."

Tobin shrugs. "I know. I just wanted to spend a few extra minutes with you."

Christen stands with her mouth slightly agape, at a loss for words. Tobin takes a hesitant step toward her. "Chris...I..."

She takes Christen's hand hanging by her side and laces their fingers together. They stand face to face, mere inches apart. Christen can feel her heartbeat in her throat and she realizes she's depending heavily on her desk to help her stand up straight as she leans much of her weight against it.

The ghost of a smile plays on Tobin's lips as she brings her free hand up to Christen's cheek. Christen feels her calloused fingertips graze over the soft skin of her face and her eyes flutter shut. She leans in ever so slightly, sensing Tobin doing the same. Seconds are drawn out in slow motion to feel like an eternity. Just as their lips are about to make contact, she lets out the faintest hum of anticipation and arousal.

As if awoken from the small unfamiliar noise, Christen pulls back with a gasp, mildly embarrassed by her own whimper of pleasure.

"Sorry." She sputters out, trying to catch her breath and find her voice again. She leans back a bit and rakes her hands nervously through her hair.

"No, it's ok. Is this too much?" Tobin coos gently, sweeping stray hair from Christen's forehead and tucking it softly behind her ear.

"Yeah, maybe." Christen concedes looking down at the carpet while Tobin's hands run down her arms. "Sorry." Christen chokes out again.

"Stop apologizing. You're cute when you apologize you know that?"

Christen lifts her head to meet Tobin's amber eyes and reaffirming smile, but doesn't feel comforted. Instead, she feels the sting of self-consciousness, trepidation, and a pang of anxiety; why? She can't quite pinpoint. Maybe it's because Tobin's her co-worker, maybe it's because she's still kind of tipsy from their drinks earlier and she's not thinking straight. She can't quite place it, but the discomfort is there, a lump suspended in her throat.

"I-- I think you should go." Christen manages to choke out, barely above a whisper.

Tobin's brow furrows in confusion. "Sorry, did I completely misread this situation?" Her tone isn't quite accusatory, but there's an edge to her voice.

Christen chews her bottom lip, trying to find the right words, or any words, to help explain herself. "No, I just--I need some time." Christen's eyes search Tobin's, hoping she understands.

Tobin takes a step back, releasing her grasp on the woman. She lets out a heavy exhale and nods her head, obviously biting her tongue from saying something in her defense, or possibly to urge Christen along. Instead, she leans in and places a chaste kiss to Christen's cheek before stepping back completely from her toward the doorway of the office. "I should probably get going before I do or say something stupid and ruin things even more."

Christen shakes her head. "Tobin, you didn't ruin anything. I had a fun night with you, I promise." She offers as consolation.

Tobin hums and nods her head with pursed lips, seemingly disappointed in how the end of the night unfolded. "Want me to walk you out?" She offers in a last ditch effort.

"That's ok. I need to take care of a few things before I leave anyway." Christen starts aimlessly collecting papers on her desk and and pushing them into stacks, trying to convince Tobin of this lie so she can be relieved of this awkward situation.

Tobin takes a few step backward toward the dark office. "Ok. Have a good rest of the night then. I'll see you later I guess."

"See ya." Christen calls out weakly, though Tobin had already retreated from the office toward the exit, dejected.

Once Christen hears the door to the building close behind Tobin, she falls into her chair with a long sigh, frustrated with herself. "Why did I do that?" She wonders aloud with her head in her hands

After all the time she had spent with the woman, Christen couldn't deny that she's attracted to the stunning brunette, and judging by Tobin's actions tonight, it seems that the attraction is mutual. So why is it so hard to let go and let the feelings come?

Christen takes a deep breath and pops her head up from her hands. It's been two years, it's time to get over yourself and let someone in for once. Christen coaches herself internally. What have I got to lose?

She gets up from her desk and grabs her bag and coat and locks up to head home with a new sense of determination. As she drives, Christen replays the evening in her head, hoping that Tobin isn't completely put off by how the night played out. But she's hopeful; if she's learned anything from all the time she's spent with her, it's that Tobin's too stubborn and competitive to let one mishap deter her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Props to anyone who knows the song referenced in the title...


	6. Date 3: The Vinyard part I

While completing edits for a new article, Christen hears a knock on her office door and looks up from her glowing computer screen.

"Christen, I have a surprise for you." Jill says from the doorway in a kind of giddy, sing-songy voice

"Uh oh, should I be scared?" Christen asks, only half kidding.

"No, it's great, you'll love it!"

Christen raises her eyebrows incredulously and Jill continues.

"I'm sending you on vacation. Ok, not a vacation vacation, you'll still have to write about it for your series, but I'm sending you out to a bed and breakfast on a vineyard a couple hours outside of the city. How does that sound? Am I the best boss or what?" She says looking rather proud of herself.

"Wow! I uh--that sounds great. When?" Christen asks, still a little shocked, and a little annoyed to be quite honest, by how suddenly this was sprung upon her.

"This weekend. And Tobin will be going too, obviously. Sorry the romantic getaway has to be spent with your co-worker." Jill laughs at her joke. Christen laughs a little less convincingly. "I'll email you the reservation details and cc Tobin." Jill says before retreating from the doorway and back toward her own office.

Christen leans back in her chair, rubbing her hands down her face feeling slightly overwhelmed by this looming trip. She breathes out a deep sigh and groans a little as her thoughts start swirling.

Christen's surprised to hear a voice while the heels of her palms still rub her closed eyes.

"Well don't look so excited about our romantic weekend getaway." Tobin states sarcastically as she takes a step into her office.

Since their "almost kiss" in her office, Christen has been actively avoiding the photographer, convinced that if she distanced herself from the woman, her mind would somehow clear from its' fog, and the past few weeks would turn out to be just an elaborate dream.

Christen inhales sharply. "No, I am excited. I just--it was just kinda sprung on me all of a sudden and I wasn't expecting to spend my weekend like this." Christen tries to rationalize.

Tobin nods skeptically. "What, did you have other exciting plans for the weekend or something?"

"Well, no. Not exactly. It's just kinda a lot thrown on me all at once that I wasn't expecting and I just wish I had more time to sit with it." Christen hints, hoping Tobin will pick up on her double meaning.

She does, and Tobin peers over her shoulder before closing the office door fully. "Are you worried about it because of us?"

Christen gnaws at the inside of her cheek anxiously. "I just haven't had a lot of time to process. And spending the whole weekend together--I don't know, it's just...a lot." Christen tries miserably to articulate the swirl of emotions in her head.

Despite her vague response, Tobin seems to understand what Christen's trying to get across. "I know. But you don't need to worry so much, ok? We don't need to put any pressure on this weekend, lets just get wine drunk like a couple of suburban moms and enjoy the weekend."

Christen chuckles at this and nods, feeling much less stressed after Tobin's impromptu pep talk.

Looking satisfied with her response, Tobin open the door to the office again. "You know where to find me if you need anything." Tobin gives her a reassuring smile and walks back toward her desk in the back of the building.

***

Friday afternoon looms as Christen watches her coworkers ducking out of the building for the weekend one by one. She tries to distract herself, but her fingers tap relentlessly on the top of her desk, her anxious energy needing an outlet. She looks at the clock hanging near the door and figures she might as well stop procrastinating and get the weekend going already. She closes her computer and packs it in her briefcase, locking her office behind her before going in search of Tobin.

When she gets to her desk, she finds Tobin engrossed in something on her computer, her headphones blasting muffled beats around her head. Christen leans against her desk, waiting to see how long it will take the woman to notice her.

Finally, Christen has to waves her hand in front of Tobin's eye line to gain her attention. Tobin's eyes dart over to Christen, a little caught off guard, and pulls her headphones around her neck. "Hey! Sorry, I was working on some edits. What's up?"

Christen chuckles quietly at the brunette. "I just wanted to see if you wanted cut out a little early and get the weekend started. I figure we're technically working all weekend anyway so we deserve a little break from the office."

Tobin clicks around her computer, saving files and closing down programs "Uh, sure. Let me get all packed up here and then I can meet you in the parking garage. The rest of my stuff is in my car."

***

Outside, Christen stands by her car, fiddling with the keys as she waits impatiently for Tobin. When she finally appears, she doesn't see a suitcase rolling behind the brunette.

"Where's your stuff?" Christen's voice echoes through the empty garage.

Tobin simply pats her backpack "I travel light."

Christen suddenly becomes self-conscious about the overstuffed suitcase sitting in the trunk of her car.

Tobin approaches and comes to stand with Christen at the back of her parked car. "You sure you don't want me to drive?" Tobin chimes in.

Christen shakes her head. "I don't mind. You can be my navigator."

This seams to appease Tobin and she tosses her backpack in the backseat before settling into the passenger side. She throws her hands behind her head and stretches out her legs "Ok, ready when you are captain."

The drive isn't too long. They fill the two hours with music and light chit chat, both settling into each other's company. Tobin snaps a few pictures out the window along the way as they get farther outside of civilization. When they finally pull off the main road to the gravel driveway of the vineyard, they marvel at the rows and rows of grapevines lining the property. They reach a large building that looks like it could be straight out of a Tuscan village and are greeted by a valet man who brings in their luggage and takes care of the car.

When they step inside, they're intercepted by a friendly woman who looks in charge. "Hi, welcome to Kissing Tree Vineyard. Are you ladies here for a tour or will you be staying with us this weekend?"

Christen directs her attention to the woman. "Oh, we're here for the weekend. Our reservation should be under Press."

The woman smiles at them and motions for them to follow her. "Fantastic. If you'll follow me, we can check you in and get you all settled."

After going through the logistics, the woman gives them a brief rundown of the property and the various amenities and activities. "You'll find your room on the second floor, meals will be on the first in the dining area. Outside is the patio and pool area as well as a path leading to the wine cellars where tastings and tours take place. The brochure will tell you when scheduled tours are, but the tasting room is open from eleven am to midnight for our guests. My name is Lucy. Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions and enjoy your visit."

Lucy leaves the women at the elevators and Christen and Tobin make their way to their room to drop off their stuff. The room is cozy and Christen is relieved to see two double beds rather than one king sized. "Do you have a bed preference?" Christen asks hesitantly.

Tobin throws her backpack onto the nearby bed. "I'll take the one closer to the door so when we come stumbling in at midnight, I'll have a shorter distance to walk before collapsing in it."

Christen chuckles "Good point."

She rolls her bag over to the window and sits on the edge of the bed. "What should we do first?"

On cue, Tobin's stomach growls loudly and she quickly clutches it with her hands. "My stomach says we should eat dinner."

Christen laughs and rises from her spot on the bed, raking her fingers through her travel-worn hair. "Sounds good to me. Let me just freshen up so I look presentable."

"I think you look great." Tobin looks Christen over with a small smile, causing a light blush to creep up into Christen's cheeks.

She deflects the comment sheepishly. "Give me five minutes." Christen slinks past Tobin and into the safety of the bathroom.

Once she shuts the bathroom door, Christen grabs the counter and leans against it, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "It's ok, everything's cool. You're just going to enjoy the weekend with Tobin and try not to think about her eyes, or her sexy voice, or that smirk she gets when she catches you looking at her. Just be cool Christen. If we happen to get drunk and hook up, that wouldn't be the worst thing, right? It's been two years, it's about time you get some."

She takes in another deep breath and exhales slowly as she turns on the facet to splash some water on her face. She gives herself one last look in the mirror. "It's no big deal. It's no big deal."

When she walks out of the bathroom, she sees Tobin lying on her bed with her arms behind her head. Her shirt has risen up to reveal a sliver of her toned stomach. Christen swallows hard.

Tobin turns her head and sits up when she sees Christen. "Ready?"

Despite herself, Christen nods her head and follows Tobin out of the room toward the dining hall.

The dining area is a large room with sets of tables and chairs dispersed throughout. A bar is set up to order food and wine together so the bartender can suggest pairings that work together. After ordering at the counter and getting a glass of wine each, Christen and Tobin find a table off to the side to wait for their food.

They sit quietly together for a moment, just taking in their surroundings and watching several other groups of guests milling around the area. Christen silently wonders how many of these are couples are staying at the vineyard.

Her concentration is broken when Tobin lifts her glass toward Christen's "Cheers. Thanks for bringing me out here."

Christen shrugs as they clink glasses "Don't thank me. Thank Jill, she's the one who planned all this and is footing the bill."

Tobin chuckles softly. "I'll send her a thank you note when we get back." Tobin takes a sip, letting the taste of red wine linger in her mouth. "Guess I should also thank her for pairing me up with you."

Christen furrows her brows with a hint of a smile. "Why's that?" She asks skeptically.

"To be honest, I thought a nine to five desk job would be boring. I only took this job because I wanted some stability and a steady paycheck. But lo and behold, turns out I meet someone who makes me excited to come into work every day."

Christen scoffs and rolls her eyes playfully "Oh come on, the job's not that bad. There have got to be other reasons why you like working there."

Tobin leans back in her seat, contemplative. "We do get free lunch on Fridays. That's pretty nice." She says with a wicked grin. "Come on, you aren't just a little bit excited to see me at work?"

Christen relents and smiles at the brunette. "I guess Monday mornings are a little better now that you're there to split a pot of coffee with me."

Tobin chuckles, satisfied with Christen's small, but meaningful admission that no, these feelings were not completely one sided.

Their food arrives and Christen relaxes now that at least a little tension seems to have dissipated. The second glass of wine that was brought out with the food helps too. After finishing up their meal, they decide to take a walk to check out the back patio and tasting room.

"Wow, it's beautiful." Christen marvels at the now dark night sky and limestone patio lit only by strings of lights interwoven with grape vines hanging above them.

"Come on, lets check out the tasting room." Tobin takes Christen by the hand and pulls them down the dimly lit path toward another smaller building several hundred feet away. Christen smiles to herself, noticing that Tobin doesn't try to release her grip during the short walk, not that she'd want her to.

They walk in through a large wooden door and into the tasting room. It's smaller and more intimate than the dining area and seems to be where many of the couples have retreated.

Tobin turns to Christen. "I'll get us something to drink. You want to find a table?"

Christen nods in agreement to the plan and finds a small table to stake her claim. She watches Tobin from across the room as she chats up the server, oblivious to how she seems to charm everyone she meets. She watches Tobin dodge through the small crowd of people with two glasses in hand, putting one in front of Christen before taking a seat across from her.

"Is this seat taken?" Tobin teases

Christen smiles into her glass as she takes her first sip.

Time seems to stand still as they sit together, enjoying each other's company while the rest of the world turns around them. A glass and a half later, Tobin decides to show off her hand-eye coordination with yet another bar trick. She slides her coaster to the edge of the table until it rests precariously, half-on, half-off the edge. She then taps the overhanging coaster, sending it flipping end over end into the air. After completing two full rotations, Tobin snatches the coaster out of the air with one hand and places the coaster back down to do it again, as if it were a routine she'd done a million times before.

"You try." She directs toward Christen.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Christen lines up her coaster, just as she'd watched Tobin do, but when she goes to flip the cardboard cutout, she sends it flying into the air, almost hitting the couple next to them.

After retrieving her coaster and offering the couple an apologetic look, she returns to the table to find Tobin doing the trick easily again and again. "Why are you so good at that? You have some kind of coaster-flipping side hustle?"

Tobin doesn't take her eyes off her coaster as she continues to flick it into the air "I spent a lot of time alone in bars while I was traveling." She offers simply before quickly changing the subject. "Funny story, my friends used to call me flipper."

Christen scoffs "Cus you performed this act in the circus? Or no, let me guess, you flipped girls. Your sheer presence made girls swoon and turn gay for you". Christen mocks sarcastically.

Tobin catches her coaster and sets it down on the table, finally meeting Christen's eyes with an earnest gaze. "No, I just really like dolphins. You know, like Flipper the dolphin?"

Christen cringes internally, hoping she didn't offend Tobin. "Didn't know you were such a softy for marine life." She jokes, trying to make light of it.

Tobin leans back in her seat, crossing her arms comfortably in front of her chest. "There's a lot you don't know about me."

Christen too leans back, mirroring Tobin's body language. "Then tell me something."

Tobin shrugs "What do you want to know?"

"What's your favorite color?"

Tobin exhales audibly, rolling her eyes "Seriously? We're doing this?

Christen gives her a pointed look, determined to get information out of the woman, a challenge she might actually be able to accomplish successfully tonight. "Yes, now answer the question."

Tobin relents "orange."

"Beach or mountains?"

"Beach"

"When was the last time you had a girlfriend?"

Tobin lets out an amused laugh "That escalated quickly."

Christen doesn't back down and maintains her expectant gaze until Tobin answers.

"I don't really do girlfriends." Tobin says matter of factly.

"Can you elaborate on that?" The wine in her system was bringing out every bit of sass in Christen's slight body.

Tobin shifts in her seat, looking more uncomfortable with how the conversation had turned. "I mean, I mess around with girls, who are my friends, but I've never really had a girlfriend girlfriend."

"I find that hard to believe miss 'I have so much game'" Christen mocks.

Tobin shrugs, seemingly unperturbed by Christen's slightly condescending tone. "A girlfriend's just never been convenient. I've always been traveling and working and the long distance thing never appealed to me. It's like this, I'd be in a city for about a month at a time for work and sometimes I'd meet a girl there and we'd hang out and have a good time or whatever, but once I was gone, so was the girl. I don't like leaving loose ends."

"That makes it sound like you murdered them or something. Should I be scared for my life here?" Christen teases, realizing Tobin was offering a more serious response than she was anticipating.

Tobin's mood lightens at this and she gives Christen a playful shove. "Alright smartass. I just didn't want a relationship hanging over my head when I went to a new place. I didn't want to feel tied down or be thinking about some girl somewhere else. It kept my head clear so I could fully enjoy the new city I was in.

Christen takes a sip of her wine, contemplating Tobin's reasoning. "And now?"

"What about it?"

"Now that you're kind of slowing down and putting down roots for a while, you think your policy will change?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll have to see if someone comes along to change my mind." Tobin smirks from across the table, maintaining eye contact until the waiter comes by to take away their empty glasses.

Christen looks down at her watch, yawning as she realizes the time. "I didn't realize how late it was. We should probably head back. We have a full day of drinking tomorrow so we should probably get some sleep."

Tobin nods and follows Christen out of the busy tasting room. As they walk down the path back to the main building, Christen loops her arm around Tobin's and leans into her, muttering something about needing her for balance. Tobin doesn't question it.

When they get into the room, the air seems thick and the butterflies in Christen's stomach that had appeared on the walk back seemed to have multiplied tenfold now that the two are alone.

"I'm just gonna change and brush my teeth and call it a night." Christen announces hesitantly. She goes to her bag, rummaging through it to find her toiletries and sleeping clothes.

When she gets up and turns to head for the bathroom, her eyes settle on a half naked Tobin. She had pulled off her clothes from the day and now stands only in her underwear and bra as she unfolds her pajamas to get redressed. Christen stands frozen in her spot, breathless. Tobin's skin is flawlessly tan and clings tightly to her slender but muscular frame. Christen's eyes gaze shamelessly as she watches Tobin put her hair up into a ponytail, stretching her abs and flexing her biceps just so. Feeling eyes on her, Tobin glances over at Christen, giving her a small smile indicating she had caught her green eyes raking over her body.

Realizing how long she'd been staring, Christen quickly looks away and busies herself with the forgotten toiletries in her arms. "Sorry, I...this is embarrassing." She shakes her head at herself.

Tobin slips on an oversized t-shirt but leaves her legs bare. "I don't mind you looking at me. Like what you see?" Tobin brings her bottom lip between her teeth, teasing Christen.

Flustered, Christen chokes on her attempt at a laugh, sending her into a coughing fit instead. Tobin walks over to the hunching woman and sits them both down at the foot of the bed. She rubs large circles across her heaving back as she tries to soothe the girl. "Sorry, I didn't mean to take your breath away." Tobin quips.

Christen finally catches her breath but only enough to shake her head at the playful comment.

When Christen's breathing finally returns to normal, Tobin looks Christen over. "You ok?"

Christen nods her head, glancing sideways at the woman next to her. Tobin's hand remains on Christen's back, rubbing gentle circles against it with her fingertips. Christen's eyes close letting the sensation sink in.

"Is this ok?" Tobin asks with trepidation.

Christen nods, eyes still shut. "Yeah, it feels good."

Tobin's fingers glide over her shoulder blades and down the length of her arm, causing the baby hairs there to rise from goosebumps. Christen sits motionless, reveling in Tobin's touch, scared that if she moves even an inch, the moment will be lost.

Tobin's fingers get braver and eventually push aside the hair draping over Christen's shoulder to reveal her slender neck. Her fingertips tickle the delicate skin there and Christen's lips part, her breaths becoming more shallow.

She feels the bed move beneath her as Tobin shifts a little, scooting closer to Christen until she can detect the faint scent of the brunette's perfume undoubtedly applied earlier this morning. Tobin's body now presses fully against Christen's side. Christen's eyes remain closed until she feels the softest pressure of lips against the skin in the nape of her neck. A rush of adrenaline pumps through her body and her eyelids shoot open with a sharp inhale.

Sensing this shift, Tobin retracts just enough so that her lips ghost over Christen's ear as she whispers. "Is this ok?"

Christen hesitates only a moment before deciding to just let it happen and follow Tobin's lead. She nods in approval, thinking of her earlier bathroom pep talk with herself, and lets her eyes fall closed again, allowing herself to enjoy this and become reacquainted with what it feels like to be touched by a woman again.

Tobin takes this as a cue to up the intensity. She returns to Christen's neck, but this time kisses her with more purpose. Her lips kiss and suck at the sensitive skin beneath them, and Christen lets out a soft moan when she feels Tobin's tongue lick and swirl against her pulse point. Growing bolder with each small sigh from Christen's lips, Tobin moves her hand onto Christen, running it up and down her ribs, clutching her waist to pull her in closer.

Unable to be a bystander in this interaction any longer, Christen takes Tobin's jaw in her hand and guides their lips together, finally connecting them. This time, there's no hesitation, no holding back. Christen wants to feel Tobin, to taste her fully. Their lips slide against one another, sucking and moving in sync.

Tobin's lips are smooth and gentle despite the amount of time she spends biting them during the day. They move slowly against Christen's, calculating how much to give so as not to overwhelm the green-eyed woman. They're perfectly hot and wet, not like so many of the sloppy kisses she's shared with one night hook ups in the back seats of cabs or dark corners of bars. They work perfectly to take one lip and then the other, sucking and nipping just enough to keep Christen's head swimming and her body tingling with arousal.

It doesn't take much coaxing for Christen to open herself further and let Tobin's tongue glide skillfully into her mouth, licking across her lips and tongue expertly. Christen's hand tangles in Tobin's brunette locks urging for her to continue this newfound pleasure. If kissing Tobin feels this good, she can't imagine what doing other things with Tobin must feel like.

And that's what stops her; the intensity of it all. Christen pulls away, breathless, feeling like she has little control of her body. Her heart races and she can feel her blood pulsing through her veins, flushing every inch of her skin. Her eyes search Tobin who gazes back at her, looking confused.

"Did I do something wrong? Is this too much?" Tobin murmurs, a tinge of disappointment in her voice.

Christen's mouth opens to answer, but the words won't form on her tongue. Instead she leans in to place a gentle kiss on Tobin's lips to relax Tobin's knit brow. Finally, the words come. "You're a really good kisser."

It's not exactly the words Christen was looking for, but at least they're honest.

Tobin lets out a chuckle. "So are you." Tobin's thumb glides beneath the hem of Christen's shirt, rubbing softly against her skin. She continues "You want to try it again?"

Christen meets Tobin's gaze and a smile curls onto her lips. She nods her heads wordlessly and leans back into Tobin, feeling somewhat more grounded than before. Their lips melt together again and Christen's head spins trying to take in everything that's happening. Tobin's lips, her tongue, her hands gliding further and further beneath her shirt, it's all so overstimulating in the best possible sense.

So lost in it all, she barely has time to register that she's being pushed backward onto the bed. Tobin surges forward to lean over Christen as she rests her back against the comforter, their lips barely breaking contact on their descent.

Wordlessly, Tobin swings her leg over to straddle Christen's hips. Christen responds in kind by wrapping her hands tightly against the back of Tobin's neck, pulling her down closer while her back arches off the bed, searching for more contact, her chest barely grazing against Tobin's.

"Fuck." Tobin lets out breathlessly against Christen's lips. "God, you're really sexy, you know that?" Tobin bites impatiently at Christen's bottom lip before releasing it with a frustrated groan.

Without warning, Tobin sits back a little to catch her breath, raking her fingers along her loose ponytail. Christen watches the wheels turning in her head, clearly battling with something internally.

Christen looks up at her, confused "What?"

Tobin shakes her head, eyes downcast. "It's nothing. I just--we should probably get some sleep. It's nearly one o'clock" her eyes look to the clock resting on the nightstand between the two beds.

"Oh, yeah ok." Christen says, caught off guard by the sudden halt in their activities. She wiggles beneath Tobin as the brunette climbs up off the bed and runs her hands over her ponytail in an attempt to tame her unruly flyaways.

Tobin grabs her toothbrush from her backpack. "I'm just gonna brush my teeth." She points with her thumb toward the bathroom and slinks in.

Christen sits alone on the bed, dumbstruck. She rubs her eyes with the heels of her hands, racking her brain for what she might have done to scare Tobin off so suddenly. She thought she wanted this. All this time Christen thought it was her that was hesitating, acting as gatekeeper to what could be between them. But now, now she's utterly confused as to how Tobin can just turn it off like that.

Christen hears the water that had been running cease, and Tobin slides out from the bathroom, making no attempt to look at Christen as she slips into her bed. Instead, Tobin grabs her phone and scrolls through it mindlessly "Bathroom's all yours." She says without looking up from the screen.

Christen stares at her pointedly from across the room, boring a hole into the side of her face, but the brunette continues to stare into her lap in silence. Frustrated with Tobin's strange and abrupt change in behavior, Christen calls her out on it. "Ok what the fuck is going on? Did I do something wrong?"

This uncharacteristic frustration grabs Tobin's attention and she looks up from her phone. "What? No."

Christen shifts to turn her body toward Tobin. "Then what happened? Seemed like everything was going pretty well and then you just--bolted. If you don't want to take things any farther, that's fine. Just tell me."

Tobin lets out a labored sigh. "No, it's not that I don't want to--I..." she hums to herself, trying to find the right words. "I don't want you to think I'm the type of person to just fuck girls and then leave them."

Christen's brows raise with a critical look on her face. "Well that's presumptuous of you. I wasn't planning on having sex with you tonight."

Tobin recoils, wincing at this rebuttal, "No I wasn't trying to say--I just mean. Ugh." She groans in frustration. Christen waits quietly for her to continue, feeling a little annoyed at this point. Tobin takes a deep breath to refocus. "I'm just saying, I told you my history with women tonight and I don't want you to think you're just going to be one of those girls."

Christen crosses her arms in front of her chest defensively "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. If I wanted you to stop, I would have told you."

Tobin shakes her head, looking into her lap again, playing with the fabric of the comforter. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I ruined it."

A small smile finds its way onto Christen's lips at the sight of Tobin's vulnerability. "You didn't ruin it."

Tobin looks up from her lap, back over at Christen. Christen continues. "Come here." She pats the empty side of her bed, pulling the comforter back. This earns a smile from Tobin who slinks over having been forgiven with this gesture.

Tobin slips beneath the covers and rolls to her side toward Christen where they lay face to face. "Hi." Tobin whispers.

"Hi." Christen whispers back, a wide grin on her face. She didn't realize how cute Tobin could be.

Tobin brings her arm up to rest it around Christen's waist, pushing up her shirt in the back to graze her fingertips across the dips on Christen's spine where her dimples are.

Christen hums contentedly. "I may not have sex with you tonight, but I'll cuddle your brains out." Her voice is low and gravely, laced with sleep.

"I like that." Tobin concedes.

Christen's eyes close, letting the gentle motion of Tobin's fingers across her back lull her to sleep, but before she can fall into unconsciousness, Tobin chimes in softly. "You said you wouldn't have sex with me _tonight_." She emphasizes Christen's wording.

Christen hums. "Still not going to happen."

"Yeah I know, but you didn't say it was _never_ going to happen." Tobin insinuates, her confidence seeming to return.

"I know." Christen's just teasing her at this point.

Tobin presses further. "So It _could_ happen."

"I like to keep my options open." Christen boasts playfully.

Tobin chuckles at this. "You're a fox Christen Press."

"Goodnight Tobin." Christen's eyes flutter closed, hoping sleep will overtake her.

She feels a soft kiss to her forehead "Goodnight Christen."


	7. The Vinyard: part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With all this good news, I had to update today. Not to jinx it, but #preathnwslfinal

Christen wakes the next morning to the sound of steady breathing beside her. During the night, the women had unraveled from each other, but Christen still finds herself all the way on Tobin's side of the bed, almost to the point of pushing Tobin over the edge. But the brunette seems to have slept through both the territory takeover and Christen's current rustling as she tries to slip out of the bed to address the urgent need to pee.

She successfully makes it out of the bed without disturbing Tobin, but stubs her toe on the backpack that had been haphazardly thrown to the ground at the end of the bed.

Tobin stirs and exhales audibly to release the sleeping breaths from her lungs. "Come back. I'm cold."

Christen smiles sweetly at Tobin's pitiful sleepy voice. "I'll be right back."

Tobin sticks out her arm from under the covers to reach for Christen "No no no. I'm freezing. I need you to keep me warm." She groans.

Christen sighs at the woman's persistence and comes over to grab Tobin's outstretched hand, giving it a sympathetic squeeze "I have to pee but I promise I'll be right back."

She turns back toward the bathroom, but Tobin won't let go of her hand and pulls her until she's forced to sit down roughly on the bed. Tobin quickly wraps her arms around Christen's waist, tugging her in to her chest and burying her face in Christen's side. "No, you're not allowed."

Christen laughs at how clingy early-morning Tobin is. She runs her fingers through the brunette locks sweetly and leans down to kiss her temple. "If you don't let me go to the bathroom, I swear I'm going to pee my pants." She says playfully.

Tobin's arms loosen immediately to release her, but not without a dissatisfied groan.

Once Christen is able to take care of business, she slips right back into bed behind Tobin, wrapping her arms around the woman once more. She places a hesitant kiss to Tobin's shoulder blade to gauge the brunette's comfort level with their current circumstances. A small sigh of contentment is all it takes to confirm that yes, Tobin's enjoying this too.

Feeling more confident, Christen speaks against the brunette's back. "Tobin, we have to get up. We have breakfast in 20 minutes and then we're doing a tour of the vineyard. Don't you want to hear about how they make wine?"

"Can't we just lay in bed and you can keep kissing me like that?" She murmurs into her pillow.

Christen smiles to herself and gives her one last kiss on the back, now sure that they're on the same page. She jostles her playfully, pushing her back and forth. "Tobin..." Christen whines.

Tobin groans and sits up from her spot on the bed and rubs the sleep from her eyes, sporting some decent bed head. "Fine I'm up, I'm up."

Christen chuckles, loving how she gets to see this side of Tobin.

Tobin drops her hands to her lap and looks at Christen, sensing eyes on her "What?"

Christen shakes her head "Nothing, just go get ready. I still have an article to write so hurry it up."

After practically inhaling their breakfast, they join a small group of other visitors for a guided tour through the vineyard. They go through the rows of grape vines, listening to the history of how the vineyard was established and why this specific area was chosen for wine grapes. Tobin snaps photos while Christen takes notes as they walk along with the group. It's all very informative, but also getting warm. Christen can feel her shirt starting to stick to her from the mist of sweat that covers her body, and tiny beads of sweat start to collect on her brow. She's relieved when they are shuffled into the air conditioned wine cellar where the wine is actually made and stored.

The tour continues inside, but while the group is ushered deeper into the winery, Tobin hangs back, crouching at different angles as she takes pictures of the rows of barrels.

"Tobin, come on, we're going to get left behind." Christen urges the other woman.

Tobin stands up, lowering her camera from her eye. "Oh darn. I guess we'll just have to wander around here alone."

Christen smirks, realizing Tobin's plot. "Alright smartass. Did you at least get any good shots while while you were stalling just now?" Christen goes to stand at Tobin's side, peeking over her shoulder at the small LCD screen.

"I did get some good ones out in the vineyard." Tobin clicks back to a series of shots of Christen looking over her shoulder at Tobin, a wide grin plastered on her face as she walks down the row. "Beautiful right?"

Christen blushes at the statement. "I mean, it is your job to make me look good." Christen tries to deflect. She's never been good at taking a compliment.

Tobin hums. "No, that's all you. I didn't do anything, you're just that beautiful." Tobin states earnestly, like it's the most simple fact in the world.

Tobin looks up from the screen so their faces are inches apart. Christen's senses suddenly seem to heighten as the familiar surge of adrenaline courses through her. She suddenly realizes how dim the cellar is and the distinct must of worn wood permeating the air. Small creaks and moans from the old building reverberate through the expansive basement, creating a discrete soundscape to fill the silence. But the loudest noise filling Christen's ears in the pounding of her heart as it beats on overdrive in her chest. She licks her lips subconsciously, her eyes fixated on Tobin's as she does the same thing.

It's one thing to have these feelings for someone in the small hours after drinking all night when you're defenses are down and loneliness sets in. It's another thing entirely to feel it completely sober in the middle of the afternoon all alone with nothing to distract or dismiss the tiny voice of doubt in your head saying she doesn't feel it like you do.

That tiny voice makes Christen hesitate and she stands, frozen to the spot, unable to make a move. But Tobin doesn't let her stay like this for long. She leans in, connecting their lips and voids any lingering fear in Christen's subconscious. She melts into the kiss, making her forget why she had even second guessed this in the first place. Tobin kisses her with such care and fervor, there's no question that this isn't a game, this isn't just a fling. Tobin feels this connection too.

When they finally part, Christen's eyes struggle to open. "Wow."

Tobin lets out a breathy chuckle. "Same."

Christen wants to just let the moment be and keep her head out of it, but the wheels start turning and the nagging anxiety of what this all means takes up residence in her mind.

As if reading her thoughts, Tobin gives Christen another peck on the lips. "Stop thinking. Just enjoy this."

Christen sighs in acknowledgement as they stand with their arms wrapped around each other for a few more moments.

Tobin takes a step back, unraveling their bodies, but is careful to keep her hand tightly laced in Christen's. "Now come on. I bet we have time to catch them before they make it back to the tasting room for the grand finale."

They slowly stroll hand in hand across the grounds toward the distant tasting room, not in any hurry to share each other's company with the rest of the group. As they walk through the main building, they find themselves on the back patio in front of the pool. Christen pulls on Tobin's hand slightly, bringing them to a halt.

"I have an idea. What if we skipped the wine and went for a swim instead?"

Tobin wipes her glistening forehead with the back of her hand, obviously affected by the harsh sun too. "You know, that sounds perfect right about now."

They retreat back to their room to quickly change into their bathing suites, careful to give each other privacy as they dance around the thick sexual tension that had only grown thicker as the trip progressed.

With towels and sunglasses in hand, the women make their way back out to the pool that was all but abandoned, leaving them with some unexpected privacy.

Christen lays her belongings on a lounge chair and modestly strips off her tank top and shorts to reveal a simple bikini she'd only bought the week before.

Adjusting the cups of the top, she turns toward Tobin who stands ten feet from her, looking awestruck with her jaw slack.

Christen raises her brows at Tobin expectantly, clearing her throat to break the woman's daze. Tobin clenches her jaw together and shakes her head. "I uh, I like your bathing suite."

Christen smiles smugly. "Thanks, I like yours too." Christen gives Tobin a once over, admiring her lean muscular body.

Christen strides past Tobin toward the shallow end to step into the pool when she feels a pinch on her ass cheek. She whirls around, caught off guard by Tobin's forward gesture.

When their eyes meet, Tobin looks just as surprised as Christen, her eyes like saucers. "Sorry, you still had a tag on your bottom--erm, your bottoms." She holds up the tag as evidence.

Christen lets out a chuckle. "Oh, thanks." She watches as the color returns to the photographers cheeks. "I was going to say something about keeping your hands to yourself...but on second thought...." Christen says over her shoulder, trying to suppress the grin on her face, knowing her flirtatious statement will surely catch the other woman off guard.

Christen steps over to the edge of the pool and balances on one foot, dipping her toes in the water to check the temperature. Before she's even able to put her foot back down on solid ground, she feels a strong shove in the back and she tumbles into the water.

Her breath escapes her as her whole body submerges in the frigid water. Her hot skin is quickly cooled by the sudden change in temperature. When she comes back up, she gasps for air and wipes the hair from her face and out of her eyes, a yelp escaping from her throat.

"Oh my god! You're so dead!" She yells toward Tobin.

But Tobin's already launching herself into the pool with a shit-eating grin plastered across her face. "Cannonball!"

Tobin lands right next to Christen, splashing a deluge of water at her face yet again. Christen spits and wipes the water away, fired up and determined to get revenge on Tobin. She waits for the woman to reappear above the water and then wraps herself around the woman like a monkey on her back. "You're such a jerk!"

She jostles her, trying to pull the brunette off balance to dunk her or or at least gain some kind of upper hand. But Tobin remains stable, playfully swatting at Christen who hangs carelessly onto her back.

Finally, Tobin pries Christen's arms off from around her neck, and in one fell swoop, spins them around, tugging Christen's arms down and pinning them underwater. They stand in the pool, face to face, giggling and breathing heavily from their scuffle with Tobin's hands wrapped firmly around Christen's wrists. "You give up?" Tobin challenges.

Christen squirms to try and free herself from Tobin's grip, but realizes it's a futile act and concedes. "Fine, I give up, I give up. You're queen of the pool." She says as their laughter dies down.

This brings a bright smile to Tobin's face and she releases Christen from her clutches. "Wow, I've never been a queen before." She says with a dramatic flair

Christen rolls her eyes "Don't let it go to your head." She splashes the woman before her.

Tobin just smiles wordlessly and falls into the water, floating on her back and closing her eyes. "I really like it here". She declares quietly, almost as if a quiet prayer to the sky.

Christen watches, smiling at how content Tobin is, wishing she could bottle up this feeling and take it with her everywhere.

Once their fingers are prunny beyond recognition, they get out and find some lounge chairs to lay on and air dry. Christen's eyes fall closed in the warm sun as droplets of water evaporate from her skin. She doesn't know how long she'd dozed off when Tobin is gently shaking her awake.

"Chris, hey Christen."

Christen opens her eyes, squinting against the brightness of the sun. Seeing her stirred awake, Tobin continues. "Hey, do you want to go nap in our room? I'd stay out here, but I didn't bring any sunscreen and I don't want us getting burned."

Christen sits up, swinging her legs over the edge of the lounge chair as she gets her bearings, her mind still clouded by sleep. "Uh, yeah good call."

Tobin stands and puts on her clothing, tossing the towel across her shoulder. Christen reaches her arms out, signaling for Tobin to help her get up, to which Tobin chuckles and obliges.

Not bothering to put on her own clothes, Christen wraps her towel around herself and carries her clothes back to the room balled in her fist. The women walk silently through the main building until they make it back to the sanctuary of their room.

Flopping on her bed, Christen runs her hands across her face. "Man, the sun really took it out of me."

Tobin shivers in the cold room, her damp bathing suit still sticking to her skin. "I'm gonna rinse off real quick. I'll be out in a second."

Tobin slips into the bathroom as Christen closes her eyes, hearing the whir of the relentless air conditioning and the splash of the shower as she lays atop the bed, too tired to change out of her bathing suit.

She doesn't have to wait long for a warm body to come rest beside her, heating up her skin instantly at the contact. Christen smiles contently, refusing to open her eyes and ruin her relaxed state. She feels Tobin's arm rest across her torso as she lay on her back, enjoying how her hand roams across the exposed skin, causing a new set of goosebumps to form. Her fingers dance slowly along Christen's ribs, and glide teasingly beneath the cups of her top. Christen's breathing hitches at the unexpected, but not unwanted, contact. Tobin's fingers seem to get braver at this small admission of pleasure and make their way to touch the cool damp fabric of her top, surely feeling the way Christen's nipples peak beneath the thin barrier.

Christen's lips part as she exhales a small sigh, exhilarated by this new sensation. Tobin's fingers start circling with more purpose around her nipple until Christen's chest rises into Tobin's hand, searching for contact. Sensing her desperation, Tobin pushes aside the fabric and slips her hand beneath the top to give Christen the attention she needs.

Christen bites her bottom lip, stifling the moans of pleasure that threaten to escape her lips. Though, by the way she's writhing beneath Tobin's touch, it's clear she's thoroughly enjoying this and isn't fooling anyone. Her hips rock aimlessly into the air, hoping that the movement will somehow satisfy the pull building deep inside her. She knows that she needs more, but is unsure if Tobin will take the next step on her own. She groans in frustration, and calls to the brunette, hoping she can get the message across with a single utterance "Tobin."

"Yeah? Chris, you feeling ok?"

The sound of Tobin's voice pulls her from her trance. Her head is foggy as she slowly comes back to consciousness.

"Chris, you're breathing heavy. Are you ok? Were you having a bad dream?" Tobin reiterates, nudging Christen awake.

Christen opens her eyes, now fully aware, and more than a little disappointed, that she had in fact been dreaming. She lets out a deep sigh to try and calm her racing heart. "No, it wasn't a bad dream per se." She responds vaguely, still trying to recover from her unconscious mind.

"Well something's got you all riled up. What was it about?" Tobin questions as she sits next to her on the bed with a genuine look of concern.

Christen lets out a huff of air and feels her face turning red, trying to stifle the embarrassed smile overtaking her lips. She shakes her head wordlessly, unable to come up with a convincing lie quick enough.

This seems to pique Tobin's curiosity as she looks skeptically at the woman with a wicked smile on her lips. "Chris, were you having a sexy dream?" She teases

"No!" Christen shouts defensively.

Tobin chuckles. "Convincing." She scoots a little closer toward Christen, running her fingertips down her leg. "Did I happen to make an appearance in this non-sexy dream of yours?"

Christen looks up to meet Tobin's gaze, who's smiling arrogantly at her. "Maybe." Christen admits, relenting so as to play this cheeky game of cat and mouse with Tobin.

"Hm, interesting" Tobin wets her lips as her eyes scan Christen's still minimally clothed body. "What was I doing to get you all out of breath like that?"

Christen looks at her smugly. "It was nothing, don't worry about it."

Tobin repositions to kneel on the bed in front of Christen who sits propped up against the headboard. She looks Christen straight in the eyes, her voice lowering. "But I really want to know." Her fingers starts twirling Christens hair that falls just in front of her breast, grazing the sensitive area just so, almost like she's doing it on purpose.

Christen lets out a nervous chuckle, feeling herself getting worked up again.

Tobin smirks as she watches the woman before her squirming beneath her gaze. She leans in closer until Christen can feel the ghost of Tobin's lips against the shell of her ear. "Was I doing this?"

Christen's eyes drift closed at the silky sound of Tobin's voice in her ear, but it's the feeling of her mouth closing around her lobe, biting it gently, that has her melting against the bed. She focuses intently to steady her breathing, trying not to give away how affected she is by Tobin's actions. "Mm, I do like this, but no, it wasn't that."

Christen's coy remark spurs Tobin on, her competitive streak shinning through in this game between them. She shifts on the bed again, this time swinging her leg over Christen to straddle her lap and gain better access to the rest of the woman. Her fingers sweep across Christen's collar bone and down her chest between her breasts. Christen tilts her head back against the headboard. "You're getting warmer." She concedes.

Expecting Tobin to increase the intensity once more, she's surprised to feel Tobin's hands hesitate, playing with the strings of her top instead. Christen tilts her head forward again and opens her eyes to assess the situation. "You ok?"

For the first time since she's known her, Tobin looks unsure of herself. Her brows are knit together and she won't make eye contact with Christen, instead she looks at her idle hands fidgeting with the strap of Christen's top. "Are you sure this is what you want?" She asks simply, finally pulling her gaze up to meet Christen's.

It's sweet and gentle, nothing like the bravado Tobin puts on for the rest of the world. Christen smiles at this, cupping Tobin's jaw in her hand and pulling her down for a reassuring kiss. Their foreheads rest against each other as Christen wordlessly reaches behind her back, untying her bikini top and letting fall from her chest. She watches as Tobin's eyes darken at the sight of her. Christen takes this opportunity to place her hand in Tobin's, guiding it to where she wants it to go and resting it atop her chest. They both inhale sharply as Tobin's palm makes contact with Christen's breast. "I want you to touch me like you did in my dream."

Quickly gaining her confidence back, Tobin crashes their lips together with force, kissing with such voracity, as if she was taking her first drink in days. Her lips work against Christen's, sucking and licking them with such expertise, Christen almost forgets about Tobin's hand on her chest--until she starts moving it.

She takes Christen's breast in her hand, getting used to the new terrain she now has access to, palming it gently before focusing her attention on the peaking bud. She rolls her thumb over the sensitive area just once, but once is all it takes for Christen to moan audibly into her mouth. Christen can feel her heart rate picking up as bolts of pleasure shoot through her to her core.

"Tobin, that feels good." She runs her hands up Tobin's muscular thighs and around her hips, grabbing firmly at her ass. She pulls her in closer, causing Tobin's hips to rock into her own. This time, a moan escapes Tobin's lips and she begins to subtly rock into Christen's lap.

So much is going on, Christen can barely take in all the sensations being felt across her body. However, there's one sense that's starting to overtake the others. The pulsing in her core is getting harder to ignore as Tobin works her chest and rides her hips. "Fuck, Tobin."

Halting at the sound of her name, Tobin detached her lips from Christen and steadies her hips. "Hey, you ok?" She asks through labored breaths.

Christen smiles widely. "Yeah, great actually. Are you ok?" She lets out a chuckle.

Tobin runs her hands along Christen's sides, feeling the delicate skin of her waist and ribs. "Yeah, really good. Um..." her eyes flit down to her lap momentarily as she organizes the thoughts in her head. "I just think maybe we should take a breath. You know, calm down for a second."

Christen tucks a lock of loose hair behind Tobin's ear, looking at her with curiosity. "Yeah, ok." Christen remarks hesitantly, still wondering what's going on in Tobin's brain.

"It's just-- I want to be able to enjoy this, you know? I don't want it to be rushed. Trust me, I want to get to the good stuff eventually, but half the fun is the lead up, right? The anticipation of it?" Tobin concedes, gazing at Christen hopefully.

Christen smiles, nodding her head in understanding. "No, I get that. I think you're right..." Christen leans in to give her a peck on the cheek, letting her lips linger there "...even if you are such a tease."

She feels Tobin's cheeks plump from a smile against her lips before she pulls away to see the blush creeping into Tobin's skin. Tobin slides off of Christen's lap and comes to sit beside her with her back against the headboard. "Thanks." She states simply.

Christen grabs Tobin's hand, lacing their fingers together and pulls it up to her lips for a gentle kiss. "Don't thank me. I should be thanking you. It's been a while since I've done...that. I'm probably a little too eager, so thanks for reigning that in for me." She chuckles.

Tobin laughs along. "Sure, don't mention it."

A beat passes between them and Christen takes this opportunity to get up from the bed and collect her discarded top from the floor. "I'm gonna hop in the shower and rinse off. I still smell like chlorine..." she raises her arm to her nose and takes another sniff "...and a little bit like desperation."

Tobin laughs at her self-deprecating joke. "Stop, you're fine."

Christen smirks before turning toward the bathroom. "I know." She quips arrogantly over her shoulder, feeling a new sense of confidence.

She leaves Tobin on the bed rolling her eyes playfully, tangled in a pile of ruffled sheets and displaced pillows.

As Christen stands in the shower, she lets the hot water run down her body and relax her. Lathering soap over her skin, she quietly hums a tune as she reflects on the past few days, unaware of the grin on her face.

When she steps out of the bathroom, she finds Tobin softly snoring against a pillow. "Oh how the tables have turned." Christen chuckles quietly to herself. She slips beneath the covers and gently scoots into Tobin, letting her steady breathing lull her to sleep once more.

***

The rest of the trip goes off without a hitch. When they awake from their afternoon nap, they enjoy the remainder of their evening in their room drinking wine and watching tv, only half paying attention to the flickering screen between impromptu make out sessions.

In the morning before they depart, they linger in bed until the last minute, both unwilling to leave this bubble they'd created there. Despite this, beneath the carefree surface, both women also subconsciously wonder where they'll stand once the return to the real world.

It isn't until they're parked in the garage across from their office to pick up Tobin's car that Christen is brave enough to bring it up. "So Tobin--this weekend...I had a lot of fun."

Tobin looks over at Christen, noticing the seriousness in her tone, and gives the woman her full attention. "But you're wondering where we stand." Tobin interjects.

Christen shakes her head. "Yeah."

Tobin ponders quietly to herself a moment. "Well, I like you. I was kinda hoping we could keep seeing each other in the more than 'friendly co-worker' sense." She remarks candidly.

Christen grins excitedly. "I like you too."

"So does that mean I can take you out on a real? And this time I'll pay for it instead of Jill?" Tobin offers

Christen nods her head emphatically. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Tobin beams. "Cool." She leans across the seat to press a gentle lingering kiss to Christen's lips. She pulls back after a few seconds and gathers her backpack in her arms before swinging the car door open and stepping out.

Before Tobin shuts the door, Christen calls out. "See you tomorrow morning."

Tobin smiles smugly, "See you in my dreams." Tobin offers a cocky wink as she shuts the door tightly and backs away toward her own car.

 

 


	8. Anything We Want

Christen wakes up to her alarm clock Monday morning with a smile on her face. Sure she's exhausted from the weekend trip, but the thought of getting to see Tobin makes her shoot straight out of bed to launch into her morning routine. She takes extra time with her hair, makeup, and outfit selection, wanting to look especially good today in case there was any chance Tobin was second guessing their weekend together.

Christen picks up some coffee and a couple pastries on the way to work to surprise Tobin with, knowing that the brunette is probably just as tired as she is this morning.

She steps into the office, practically glowing, and heads straight to the back to see if Tobin had made it into work yet. Christen's a little disappointed to see her empty chair and dark computer screen, but probably should have known that Tobin wouldn't be caught dead at work on a Monday morning before 8:30.

Christen goes back to her office, opening the door gingerly as she balances her briefcase, coffees, and bags of pastries in her arms. Setting everything down on her desk, she takes a seat and pulls out her computer, her positive mood unwavering despite the slew of emails undoubtedly waiting for her in her inbox. As she waits for her computer to boot up, she takes a sip of coffee and tears a piece of bagel off before popping it into her mouth, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"I thought I'd step up my Monday morning coffee game but it looks like you beat me to it." Tobin stands in the doorway of Christen's office, smirking with two coffees in hand.

Christen grins sweetly at Tobin, "You didn't have to get me coffee."

Tobin lets out a chuckle. "Clearly." She steps into the office and sets her coffees down at the edge of Christen's desk. "Guess we'll just be extra caffeinated today."

Christen holds up the extra pastry bag toward Tobin. "I got you a croissant too. You want it?"

Tobin smiles excitedly and rushes around Christen's desk to retrieve the tasty treat. "Of course I do! Thank you, you're the best. How can I ever repay you?"

As Tobin goes to take the bag from Christen's hand, Christen holds on, pulling Tobin down for a quick kiss. When she pulls away, she smiles at the stunned look on Tobin's face. "That'll work." She releases her hold on the bag, letting Tobin return upright.

Tobin's face blushes a deep pink as she laughs nervously. "Uh anytime." Tobin shuffles back and forth on her feet, looking behind her to see if anyone saw their exchange.

"I actually kind of wanted to talk to you about this." Christen motions for Tobin to close the door.

Once the door separates them from the rest of the office, Tobin relaxes a little. "Don't worry, I'm not going to like, try to make out with you in front of people." She jokes.

"I know, obviously. I just-- I know the photography guys talk...they're actually worse gossips than the girls. So, could you maybe just not mention what's going on between us to them?"

"Oh don't worry, I wasn't planning on saying anything anyway. They'd give me so much shit." Tobin laughs at the thought of this.

Relief washes over Christen's face. "Ok thanks. I just don't want to be part of the office gossip you know?"

"Yeah, I totally get that. Same." Tobin looks over her shoulder before leaning down to kiss Christen once more, letting her lips linger there a few moments before pulling away. "Did I ever tell you how much I like this office?"

Christen gives her a playful shove. "Alright get out of here, I actually do have work to do today. That article about the vineyard isn't going to write itself."

Tobin takes a step back, still grinning at the woman. "Good luck. Just a suggestion, you might want to leave out the parts about what an amazing kisser I am. No one likes to read that sappy stuff." Tobin remarks with a wry smile.

Christen rolls her eyes "Just take your damn coffee and go before I regret getting you that croissant."

Tobin grabs the coffees off the desk and stalls at the doorway. "Alright, I'll be in the back. Let me know when you need the pictures." She pushes the door open and backpedals out of the office, whistling to herself with her coffees and breakfast in hand.

Just as Christen refocuses her attention on her glowing computer screen, she hears a knock on the doorframe and looks up to see Jill standing there. "Morning. How'd the weekend go? I thought you and Tobin might rip each other's heads off having to spend so much time together, but you seem closer than ever." Jill jokes, oblivious to just how close they'd become this weekend.

Christen lets out a polite laugh. "No, she was great, everything was great. Thank you again for sending us out there, it was incredible. I definitely have a lot to write about for this next article."

"Good deal. I look forward to reading it." Jill taps the doorframe again and leaves Christen to finally get started on those pesky emails.

***

Christen peers at the paper instructions, turning them this way and that, trying to make sense of the pictured directions.

"What the fuck kind of screw is that?" Christen chastises aloud to her empty apartment as she sits on the floor among the pieces of a half assembled chair.

Two weeks earlier, she'd thought the idea of buying furniture online was a brilliant idea--no sales people, endless options, cheaper prices. However, she hadn't considered the labor that came along with it. Now, after two hours of struggling with this adult lego project, she's reassessing her decision.

She puts down the tiny allen wrench and tiptoes around the living room to grab her phone and call in reinforcements, well, text in reinforcements.

C: [Hey, I have a favor to ask...]

T: [What's up?]

C: [How are you with Ikea furniture?]

Twenty minutes later, Christen hears a knock on the door. She slides across the wooden floors to the front door and quickly opens it.

"Hey, thanks for coming." Christen steps aside so Tobin can enter and shuts the door behind them.

Tobin waves her hands dismissively. "Oh no problem, I don't mind at all." Tobin steps in farther and looks around the apartment. "I like your place."

"Thanks. It's not all fancy like yours, but it's cozy." Christen teases as she leads them into the living room.

Tobin surveys the pieces of disassembled chair strewn across the area rug. "So this is the culprit huh?"

Christen stands next to her nodding along. "Yup, this son of a bitch has been giving me trouble for the past two hours. I don't understand why they even bother giving you instructions when they make absolutely no sense. I mean, I don't even think it came with some of the pieces the instructions references."

Tobin bends down to pick up the crumpled directions and flips through them. "Well, this'll be a fun little challenge then."

Christen scoffs. "I don't know if 'fun' is the word I'd use, but ok."

Tobin stands up and tugs on Christen's shirt to pull her into her, kissing her sweetly on the lips. "Hi. I don't know if I said that." She kisses Christen again, who struggles to kiss back properly due to the smile on her lips.

Christen's hands clutch Tobin's bare biceps as they stand in their embrace. "Hi." Christen says simply between a series of kisses. "I like this kind of greeting."

Tobin smiles. "I mean, I'm assuming you didn't just invite me over because you desperately needed this chair assembled tonight."

Christen giggles along. "I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone. You seem like the kind of girl who can swing a hammer and look good doing it."

"You called the right girl." Tobin quips back.

They unravel from each other and Christen pads into the kitchen. "Can I get you any water or anything? I was actually about to start cooking dinner if you're hungry. I thought I could repay your services with dinner."

Tobin calls back from the living room. "Yeah, I'll definitely take dinner as payment. Oh and a water please."

Christen makes her way back into the living room with a glass of water for Tobin, setting it on the nearby coffee table. "Awesome. So here's my plan. I probably won't be much help in here with this mess, so why don't I cook dinner while you build me a chair. Then we can just relax or whatever."

Tobin smirks. "Or whatever."

Christen returns the flirtatious smile, looking Tobin up and down teasingly before responding "I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything, stud."

Tobin quirks her head to the side. "Was that a carpentry joke?"

Christen shrugs before turning to enter the kitchen. "Maybe."

Tobin assembles the chair easily, and after about half an hour, comes to join Christen in the kitchen as she finishes cooking. She watches as the dark haired woman flits around, stirring this, adding that, all while humming some unrecognizable tune to herself. Christen doesn't even notice she's there until she spins around to grab something from the fridge.

"Oh my gosh, how long have you been there?" Christen brings her hand up to her chest, somewhat startled.

Tobin snickers. "Long enough to catch the concert."

Christen whips the dish towel in her hands at Tobin "Creep."

Tobin jumps out of the way to dodge the snapping towel. "Ow watch it."

Christen rolls her eyes "Oh come on, I didn't even touch you."

Tobin winces in pain dramatically, clutching her arm. "Ooowww."

Forgetting what she even wanted from the fridge, Christen approaches Tobin with a sympathetic frown. "Oh poor baby, tell me where it hurts." She mocks.

Tobin pouts, playing along. "Right here." She points to her arm.

Christen comes to stand in front of the woman and takes her arm in her hands, gently rubbing her hand across it before kissing the skin just below her shirt sleeve. "There. All better?"

Tobin shakes her head. "No, I think you got me here too." She pulls back the collar of her v-neck, pointing to her collarbone.

Christen grins wickedly and steps in closer to Tobin. She leans in, dipping her head to attach herself the the newly exposed skin. She kisses the delicate area, darting her tongue out just so, tasting the slight sheen of perspiration on Tobin's skin.

She closes her lips together for a final lingering kiss before pulling away. As she straightens back up, she sees Tobin standing motionless with her eyes closed and mouth slightly agape. She hears a hum from the brunette's lips as she closes them together in a smile. "That felt good."

A self-satisfied grin finds its way to Christen's lips. "Good."

Christen stands in front of Tobin and waits for the brunette to open her eyes again. When her eyes finally flutter back open, she locks her gaze with Christen's, looking a little dazed. Christen chuckles lightly at this, enjoying the effect she has on the woman before her.

Shifting her attention, she looks back over her shoulder at the forgotten pan of food waiting on the stove. She turns back toward Tobin. "Dinner's ready. You hungry?"

They take their plates to sit at the small kitchen table, joking and playing footsy beneath the table as they eat. Wiping her mouth clean after finishing the last bite, Christen leans back in her chair and lets out a satisfied groan. "I'm so full."

Tobin stretches out her arms into the air, returning the sentiment. "Me too."

Rubbing her full belly, Christen looks toward the living room. "Should we go test out that new chair?"

They make their way into the next room, stopping in front of the newly assembled piece of furniture. "Wow, looks even better than the picture. I'm impressed Heath."

"You wanna test out your new thrown?" Tobin offers, motioning toward the chair.

Christen takes a few steps before gingerly sitting on the chair. "So far so good." She pats her lap. "Come here."

Tobin lowers herself gently onto Christen's lap, wrapping her arms around her shoulders as she puts her full weight on the woman. "Seems pretty sturdy."

Christen tilts her head up, capturing Tobin's lips in her own as they sit wrapped up together. She tugs at Tobin's waist in an attempt to pull her in even closer. Her fingers find their way beneath Tobin's shirt to the sensitive skin of her hips, rubbing small circles across the area to her lower back. "I think I'm gonna like this chair." Christen quips flirtatiously.

Despite her affinity for the newly constructed chair, they eventually make it onto the couch where they can spread out more and watch a movie together. Tobin lays with her head in Christen's lap while Christen scrolls through Netflix, running her hands through brunette locks as she reads off suggestions.

"What about Little Miss Sunshine." Christen asks

She frowns slightly. "I just watched that last week."

Christen toggles through more choices. "What about The Conjuring."

"Pass. I can't do scary movies if I want to fall asleep tonight."

Christen hums as she thinks of another option. "Ok I got it. What about Drinking Buddies? It has Olivia Wilde and Anna Kendrick, that guy from Office Space and..."

"Sounds perfect." Tobin interrupts

"Do you even know what it's about?" Christen asks skeptically

"No, but if Anna Kendrick and Olivia Wilde are both in it, I'll probably enjoy it." Tobin responds smugly.

Christen opens her mouth to tease Tobin about her response, but decides against it, realizing that was the same reason she watched it the first time too.

"Ok, Drinking Buddies it is." Christen taps the remote and relaxes back into the couch as the opening credits begin. She looks down to see Tobin still in her lap, mindlessly playing with a thread on the knee of Christen's torn jeans. It tickles a little, but she doesn't dare move and ruin how their bodies had seemingly molded into a comfortable togetherness.

Christen finally gets into the movie, spouting off little facts about where it was filmed and how the script was written. It isn't until she hears a small snore that she realizes Tobin had fallen asleep right under her nose, likely from the gentle grooming of her hair. Christen chuckles to herself and just lets the movie play on, still enjoying it despite the fact that she was watching it alone now.

Tobin wakes up somewhere near the end of the movie, yawning and rubbing her bleary eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." She sits up stretching her arms out to grab her phone. "I should probably get going. It's getting pretty late." she remarks, looking at her phone for the time.

Christen bites her lip, knowing what she wants to ask, but it takes several moments to muster the courage to get the words out. "You don't have to go. You could just sleep here--if you want to, I mean. No pressure." She tries to act cool, but a knot of anticipation forms in her chest as she waits for Tobin's response.

Tobin takes a moment to mull over the suggestion in her head. "Uh--yeah. I'd like that." Her lips curl into a smile, holding Christen's gaze. "I just--I don't have anything with me.." she trails off.

"Oh! I have an extra toothbrush, and you can just borrow some of my pajamas if you want."

"Thanks. I don't think I'll need the pajamas though. I was planning on just sleeping naked."

Christen's mouth goes dry and her eyes turn to saucers at this statement. It isn't until Tobin bursts into a fit of laughter that she realizes she was joking. "Relax, I was just kidding--kinda." Tobin gives her a wink and squeezes her knee, trying to calm the woman before her.

Christen lets out a hesitant laugh and busies herself with turning off the tv and straightening the pillows to try and hide the blush on her cheeks. She stands from her spot on the couch and stretches; Tobin follows suite.

"So where's this extra toothbrush I've heard so much about?"

They stand together silently in the bathroom, their mouths full of toothpaste as they brush their teeth side by side, catching glances of each other in the mirror as they brush. They bump elbows on more than one occasion due to Tobin's left handedness. The first time was probably an accident, but on the third and fourth time, Christen could see the tiny smirk on Tobin's lips through the foam.

Christen leads them into the bedroom and the air suddenly feels heavier. They had shared a room and even slept in the same bed before, but that was on neutral territory. This suddenly seemed more intimate, seeing Tobin in her tshirt and shorts, pulling back the covers to her bed, resting against her pillow. It was as if she was sharing a piece of herself with Tobin. She's pulled from her thoughts when Tobin chimes in.

"You coming or do you sleep standing up?"

Christen shakes the thoughts away and joins Tobin in her bed, slipping under the covers and sinking into the familiar mattress. Tobin's hands immediately find Christen's skin as she rubs her bare thigh beneath the covers. "You ok? You seem out of it."

Christen turns to Tobin and finds a look of concern painting her face. Christen lets out a sigh. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just been a while since someone was in my bed with me. I'm just kind of, I don't know, nervous I guess? Sorry, it's stupid." She tries to laugh it off, rolling her eyes at herself.

Tobin nods, seeming to understand Christen's explanation. "No I get it. How can I make you feel better?"

Christen knows she won't get over the hurdles of intimacy sitting idly by. She needs to break her fear of it eventually. She just has to act. "Can you kiss me?"

Tobin smiles sweetly at this simple request. "Of course." She scoots in closer to Christen, putting her arm across her waist and leans into her until their lips make contact. She goes slow, painfully slow, to ensure Christen is alright with every movement. She pulls in Christen's bottom lip, sucking it gently, and sweeps her tongue across the soft flesh. Christen sighs at the sensation and can feel herself relaxing and letting her anxieties go.

Tobin pulls back. "Is this ok?"

Christen nods her head, eyeing Tobin's perfect features, careful to take in every line and curve of the brunette's face. Feeling more confident now, Christen is the the one this time who leans in and initiates. She kisses Tobin with more intensity now, their movements no longer slow and languid. Their lips move with more desperation against each other now, as if realizing a sudden exciting familiarity for one another. Christen parts her lips, letting her tongue search Tobin's lips until Tobin reciprocates and their tongues glide and caress each other. Sighs of pleasure start falling from Christen's mouth as they kiss.

Still sitting up in the bed, Christen realizes she'll need to reposition if she wants to free up her hands to touch Tobin the way she's hoping to. Christen shifts and swings her leg over Tobin's lap, barely breaking the kiss to do so. Christen's about to ask if this is ok with Tobin, but Tobin's hands immediately find her ass and squeeze tightly, pulling her in closely with a satisfied moan, their lips still moving passionately against one another. Yeah, she's fine with this.

Christen glides her hands through Tobin's hair, massaging her scalp as they continue this dance. She runs her hands everywhere she can reach, enjoying the subtle differences in Tobin's breathing when she finds things she likes, as well as the soft whimpers of pleasure that begin to fill the room.

At some point, Christen slides her hands down the front of Tobin's chest, just grazing over her breasts. This seems to elicit a response from Tobin unlike the others. Tobin detaches from Christen's lips momentarily to curse against them. "Fuck Chris."

Christen feels the brunette's hips rise beneath her, keening into Christen in search of more contact. Taking the hint, Christen runs her hands back over Tobin's chest, feeling the hardened peaks of her nipples through the fabric of her shirt, realizing that it's the only thing between them. Tobin moans again into Christen's mouth as Christen circles her thumbs over the fabric teasingly.

Suddenly, Tobin leans back, detaching herself from Christen. With a look of confusion, Christen's about to ask what's wrong, but is quickly quieted when she sees Tobin hastily removing her shirt. Christen's eyes rake hungrily over Tobin's bare chest. Her skin is perfectly smooth and Christen can't help but reach out to run her fingertips across her chest, between her breasts, and down her toned stomach. Tobin's eyes flutter closed as she takes in this sensation, letting Christen fully explore her.

Biting her lip, Christen scan's Tobin's face as her fingers continue their exploration. Her brown eyes remain closed and there's an air of serenity about her, a confident vulnerability that she radiates which seems to impart itself onto Christen. Trusting this quiet confidence, Christen removes her hands from Tobin's skin to pull at the fabric of her own shirt until it's up over her head and discarded to the floor. By this time, Tobin's eyes have opened at the sudden lack of contact, but she isn't disappointed with what it was traded for. She watches intently as Christen straddles her lap, reaching around her back to remove the remaining fabric across her chest, letting the straps fall from her arms until it joins the growing pile of garments on the floor.

They both stare silently in awe of each other, unsure how to proceed from here. Finally, Christen finds her voice. "I want you on me."

This is all the encouragement Tobin needs. She surges forward, lifting the woman until her head rests against the mattress, flipping their positions. Christen grins widely at Tobin hovering above her, enjoying getting to see Tobin acting on her desire without hesitation. Tobin's hands quickly find Christen's newly exposed skin, gliding from one area to the next as if cataloging every inch of the woman in her fingertips.

Christen moans with relief when Tobin finally touches her bare breasts, first taking them fully in her hands before focusing her attention on the sensitive peaks. She can feel herself getting worked up as the ache between her legs grows. Spurred on by the writhing woman beneath her, Tobin slides down Christen's body, kissing down her neck, to her collar bone, across her chest, until her mouth wraps around Christen's nipple. Christen gasps and her hips thrust involuntarily into Tobin's thigh. The wetness in Christen's underwear is soaked through by now as Tobin's hot mouth sucks and kisses the area, her tongue flicking and swirling the hardened bud relentlessly. Christen can feel herself loosing control of her body. She laces her fingers in brunette hair, tugging lightly at the long locks as they cascades over her, tickling the surrounding skin.

"Fuck. That feels good." Christen pants, unable to form a more complex thought. She feels her body quickly taking over, her thoughts solely on the physical sensation that her nerves had almost forgotten as they become familiar with this type of touch again.

Tobin's hand lowers to the waistband of Christen's shorts, just dipping her fingers beneath the fabric. She removes her lips from Christen, now needing them for words "Do you want me to take these off?"

Christen looks down at Tobin nestled between her legs, hovering halfway down her naked torso, breathing heavily, eyes questioning. "We don't have to if you don't want to." She tries to reassure Christen, having picked up on the beat of hesitation that had passed.

Christen catches her breath, thinking of the conversation they'd had just this weekend. "What happened to waiting and enjoying the anticipation of it?"

Tobin looks at her with questioning eyes, "Do you want to wait?" She asks as she moves back up Christen's body until they're face to face.

Christen stares into the dark amber orbs, noticing the conflict behind them as Tobin undoubtedly struggles to hold herself back. Her want for Christen is all too apparent. A light smile plays on Christen's lips as she breathes out heavily, her indecision and hesitation forgotten. "No. Fuck that. I want you."

Their lips crash together once more, a silent contract to take this step together. It's fast and ravenous as both women impart their desire into every touch. They break apart briefly, both breathing heavily. "You're right, waiting was a terrible idea." Tobin quips with a mischievous smirk on her lips.

"Don't make me regret it." Christen teases back.

Tobin brings her lip between her teeth wordlessly, peaking down at Christen's half naked body and silently takes the button of her jeans in her fingers, popping it open. Christen raises her hips to allow Tobin to slide the jeans from her legs, letting them fall to a pile at the foot of the bed. Tobin comes back up, this time dipping her fingers beneath the only remaining barrier between them, hooking her fingers around the soaked underwear and dragging them down slowly until they join the rest of Christen's clothing on the floor.

Standing up at the foot of the bed, Tobin stares intently at Christen, taking in her completely bare body as she fumbles to undress the rest of her bottom half. Normally, Christen would feel uncomfortable or self conscious with how intently Tobin's looking at her, undoubtedly seeing every flaw. But she feels surprisingly calm and confident under Tobin's gaze. Maybe it's because she's too busy doing the same thing to Tobin.

Missing her touch already after this brief pause, Christen calls to Tobin. "Come here."

Tobin confidently crawls back up Christen's body, kissing every part of her skin her lips come in contact with as she makes her assent.

Just as Christen's about to chastise her to urge her along and relieve the ache building in her core, she feels Tobin's fingers slide through her wet slit. She gasps audibly, throwing her head back on the pillow as her eyes slam shut. "Oh fuck"

It's all she can do to latch her hands onto Tobin's body to ground herself as the brunette slides her fingers back and forth easily through Christen. Christen's hips rock into Tobin's hand, meeting every movement in an attempt to quicken the pace, her body far past the threshold for teasing and gentle touches.

"Fuck, Tobin. Harder. I need you inside me." She demands, panting into Tobin's ear.

Without hesitation, Tobin complies, slipping two fingers easily into her. Christen lets out a low satisfied moan, feeling some relief as she thrusts against Tobin's hand, taking Tobin's fingers all the way to the knuckles. They soon find a rhythm as Tobin pumps in and out, slowly at first, curling her fingers inside of Christen, releasing a visceral arousal.

With her arms wrapped tightly around Tobin, Christen digs into her, leaving behind crescent shaped indentions and rows of red across her back. She thrusts desperately into Tobin now as she can feel herself coming close to climax. Her body tightens and tingles with arousal, and she can feel her walls pulsing against Tobin's fingers.

"I'm so close, keep going." She pleads, unable to control the want felt in her whole being.

Wordlessly, Tobin twists her fingers inside of Christen, adding to the exquisite sensation, sending Christen toppling over the edge as she orgasms beneath Tobin. Her body quakes and unidentifiable words spill from her mouth as wave after wave of pleasure pours over her.

Finally, after the intensity subsides, she barely registers Tobin slip her fingers out from between her legs, having kept them there to allow her to ride out the entirety of her orgasm.

"Fuck" Christen lets out a satisfied sigh, her heart still racing as she tries to calm her body from it's previous excitement.

Tobin lowers herself onto Christen, putting her full weight on her as she too takes in heavy breaths. She places lazy kisses on Christen's neck, nuzzling into the crook as she makes herself comfortable. "So, do you regret it?" she asks playfully, hinting at Christen's previous comment.

Christen kisses the top of Tobin's head, sweeping her hair to the side, she continues to run her fingers through the fine brunette locks as she chuckles. "Absolutely not."

Tobin hums contentedly against Christen's chest. "Good." she states simply, placing another affectionate kiss there.

With her heart rate returning to normal and her breathing no longer labored, Christen is able to take in her surroundings once more. She smiles adoringly at Tobin who squirms and readjusts on top of her, trying to situate herself in a comfortable position atop Christen's admittedly boney body. As she opens her mouth to comment on Tobin's squirminess, she feels a warm wetness against her skin where Tobin straddles her leg--and it clicks. She feels Tobin's hips subtly rocking against Christen's leg and while Christen's breathing has calmed, Tobin's remains shallow and rough.

Christen removes her hand from Tobin's hair, instead opting to use both her hands to run up and down Tobin's bare back, feeling the goosebumps form on her skin. She whispers lowly into her ear. "So can I return the favor or are you still enjoying the anticipation of it?" she mocks coyly.

Tobin swallows hard against Christen's chest. "Only if you want to." The desperation bleeds through Tobin's respectful response as she tries to mask the waver in her wrecked voice.

Christen smiles at this. If she was more of a tease, she may have prolonged Tobin's torture, but at this point, she wants it just as much as the brunette. She kisses the shell of Tobin's ear, licking along the rim slowly before responding. "I want to."

With that, she slides her hand between them to Tobin's center, confirming with her fingers how wet she is. Tobin gasps at the contact, biting down on Christen's collarbone to hold back the noises threatening to escape from her throat. Wanting to hear Tobin's full, uninhibited voice in her ear, Christen runs her fingers through Tobin again, stopping at her clit to rub a slow circle around it. On cue, Tobin's no longer able to control herself, and a loud moan comes from her lips as her hips buck against Christen's hand.

She doesn't have to do much. Tobin's mostly gone before she even touches her. As much as Christen would like to draw it out and explore the way Tobin's body responds to this touch or that kiss, this just isn't the time for that. They can get to that later. Instead, Christen continues to circle Tobin's clit with her finger, letting Tobin ride her hand, watching as her back arches and her hips lurch into Christen at an ever quickening pace. Tobin breathes heavily above Christen, her arms starting to shake as they tire from holding herself up.

"Chris, fuck don't stop." Tobin pleads between sighs, as if Christen would ever dream of it. Her wrist is starting to tire from the awkward angle, but the pain is quickly forgotten as she watches Tobin sit up fully on top of Christen, pushing her hair to the side, moaning and riding her still. A desperate hunger is written all over her face in the way her pouting lips hang open, murmuring silent curses of pleasure as her brows knit together in concentration, undoubtedly taking in every sensation all at once. Her chest heaves and she brings a hand to her own chest, toying with her taught nipple between her fingers.

And just like that, Christen too is getting wet all over again at the sight of Tobin. Her hips move beneath Tobin's, matching her pace in a desperate attempt to relieve the growing tension between her own legs. She thrusts into her own hand, contacting her clit and sending sparks of arousal through her body. The moans that escape from her lips seem to spur Tobin on and she picks up the pace, getting closer to the edge.

Christen can't think of the last time she was this turned on. "Fuck, I'm gonna come again."

A low wanting moan pours from Tobin's lips. "Oh my god, Chris. Oh fuck--" Tobin's hips rock into Christen until she feels Tobin's body tense and shake above her. Christen's fingers continue their movement against her own core and seconds later, her body is feeling relief for the second time that night as both women climax.

When Tobin's arms can no longer support her, she falls atop Christen once more, gasping for air, a light sheen of sweat glistening on her skin. Christen too breathes heavily under Tobin's weight, taking in the scent of Tobin's shampoo and sex; an intoxicating combination.

They remain quietly breathing for a few moments, both basking in post orgasm bliss, both trying to figure out what to do next.

Finally, Tobin rolls off of Christen to the empty side of the bed, looking straight up to the ceiling. "Woah."

Christen chuckles at Tobin's eloquence and watches as Tobin turns toward her with a wide smile, letting out her own laugh.

"I liked that...a lot." Christen concedes through her airy laughter.

Tobin smiles, her eyes wandering down Christen's body and then back up to meet her gaze. "I liked that a lot too." she teases lightly at this simple but meaningful admission.

Christen hesitates momentarily at her next thought, but the words come pouring out regardless. "I like you a lot." Christen chews her bottom lip, hoping her admission doesn't go unrequited.

Tobin lets out a breath, or maybe a sigh and holds Christen's gaze, a small genuine smile on her lips. "I like you a lot too."

Christen can't control the wide grin that takes over her lips and she scoots into Tobin, tangling their bodies once again. She kisses the skin beneath her lips, speaking against Tobin's chest. "Do you like me enough to get me a glass of water?"

Tobin looks down at her and laughs with an incredulous smile on her lips.

Christen looks back innocently. "What? I'm thirsty! You made me work hard for that."

Tobin scoffs, feigning offense. "Well you didn't seem to mind five minutes ago."

Christen pushes herself up on her elbows and comes to place a kiss to Tobin's lips. "No, definitely didn't mind,' she giggles against Tobin's lips. "Just want to stay hydrated for round two."

Tobin's brows raise in surprise. "Oh, round two huh?"

"I mean, only if you're up for it. I don't want to wear you out or anything." Christen challenges, poking at Tobin's competitive streak.

Tobin laughs along, "You think you're so slick don't you?"

Christen licks her lips, her voice lowering, "I don't know, why don't you feel for yourself."

***

The next morning, Christen wakes to the sound of rustling in her room. Her bleary eyes squint in the dim morning light to see the outline of Tobin quietly shuffling around the room, collecting her clothing.

"You leaving without saying goodbye?" Christen's voice creaks, still laced heavily with sleep.

Tobin turns around, taking a small step closer to the bed to run her fingers through Christen's bed head. "No, I was just going to head home and grab some clean clothes. I can't come to work in the same outfit twice in a row."

"Joey does it all the time." Christen quips

Tobin groans, dissatisfied, clearly not wanting to engage in this conversation so early in the morning.

Christen grabs Tobin's hand, pulling her back toward the bed. "Come sleep a little longer. You can borrow some of my clothes, just come back."

Tobin sighs, "Chris, someone's going to notice."

Christen pulls the brunette until she sits on the bed "I think you're giving them too much credit." she kisses Tobin's hand, guiding her back until she lays in the crook of Christen's body. She lets out a hum. "See, isn't this better than driving all the way across town for a new shirt that no one will even be able to notice is different?"

***

"Hey Christen, don't you have a shirt like that?"

Not two steps into the break room and Joey is already bringing attention to the one thing Tobin was most worried about.

Christen stands frozen at the coffee pot in a panic. She looks over at Tobin who had strategically walked in several minutes after Christen to minimize the chances of people putting things together. However, Joey seems to have picked up the scent of something sneaky happening under his nose.

Tobin gives Christen a pointed look, urging her to say something.

"Oh! Uh, I don't know. Great minds think alike I guess." She tries to make light of the situation, but Joey looks between them skeptically. He doesn't say anything, but hums to himself as he turns with his coffee to head to his desk, clearly not completely satisfied with Christen's answer.

Tobin's lips purse, trying to contain her frustration, her gaze screaming "I told you so" at Christen.

Christen grimaces. "I'm sorry." she whispers harshly as Tobin makes her way over to pour herself a cup of coffee.

Tobin exhales audibly, seemingly releasing the tension in her shoulders. She brings a reassuring hand to Christen's lower back, rubbing it gently. "It's fine. You know what this means though right?"

Christen's brows knit together in confusion and she shakes her head.

Tobin continues. "This shirt is officially mine now."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda like the song title thing going on with the non-date chapters. Fiona Apple, my girl.


	9. Date 4: Botanical Gardens

Christen and Tobin try their best to keep things inconspicuous in the office, but as they start spending more nights together, it becomes harder and harder to avoid each other. Christen has to shoo Tobin out of her office on multiple occasions because she had popped in with "questions" too many times that day. They compromise by sending emails and IMs to each other constantly. Christen types so furiously behind her computer screen, Jill even compliments her on her work ethic, thinking she's typing like a maniac to churn out articles for her series.

The series!....Christen panics internally, realizing she had yet to start the new article for her date series. She's been so busy going on actual dates, she forgot about the ones she was getting paid to do. She sends a panicked IM to Tobin:

C: Shit! We have to go on a date tonight!

T: Haha. That's an interesting way to ask a girl out...

C: No, not a real one, I mean one for the articles. I have one that's supposed to be due by midnight! I don't know how that deadline snuck up on me like that!

T: Calm down, it'll be ok. Why don't you just write about something we've already done? You could talk about the botanical gardens...but you might want to leave out the part about what happened in the maze...

C: Very funny...But you don't have any pictures from that day.

T: It's ok, we can swing by after work and do a photo shoot. You look sexy today anyway

C: Ok, I think this will work. I'll start writing up the article now. Thanks Tobin

T: Of course. It'll be like date-ja vu

C: I give it a 6. I've heard better

Christen finishes out the day frantically typing out her article and is able to get it mostly finished by the time five o'clock rolls around. Just as she's skimming her work for quick edits, Tobin appears in the doorway.

"Knock Knock. You ready to go soon?"

Christen saves her document one last time before closing her laptop and looking up toward Tobin. "Yup just finished. You want to meet there or drive together?"

"I'll drive. You just worry about looking pretty for our photo shoot." Tobin teases smugly

Christen rolls her eyes. "Let's go. There isn't much daylight left."

When they get to the botanical garden, it's significantly less crowded than it was the Saturday morning they first went. There are fewer kids running around, the food trucks aren't there to waft smells of fried foods into the air--it's peaceful.

Christen spins toward Tobin "Well, where should we start Miss Director?"

Tobin pulls her camera from her backpack, taking trial pictures and adjusting the setting for the evening light. "Let's just walk around and see where we end up."

Christen feels slightly awkward as Tobin follows her through the garden, sometimes taking candid shots, sometimes asking her to pose in front of something. She wishes the lens wasn't between them and she could enjoy strolling with Tobin hand in hand.

As they walk past a particularly large bed of blooming flowers, Tobin grabs Christen's arm gently to hold her up. "Wait, stand right there." She backs up and crouches on the pavement, looking through the viewfinder and snaps a few pictures before lowering the camera. "Ok, can you turn a little to the side like you're looking out that direction?" Tobin points.

Christen complies, still not feeling totally comfortable getting her picture taken like this. As she looks out at the people walking around the area, her eyes squint with recognition at a familiar silhouette. She brings her hand up to her eyes to shield the setting sun from obscuring her view so she can get a better look.

"You don't have to sell it that hard Christen, I just wanted that 'vaguely looking off into the distance' look." Tobin quips from her spot on the ground. But Christen barely hears her as the familiar silhouette stops and seems to recognize her as well.

As the woman starts walking over, Christen's legs take her and she calls out. "Kelley?"

"Press?"

They both weave through the crowd, unable to take their eyes off of each other until they crash into one another in a bone-crushing hug.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Christen squeezes the woman tightly.

When they let go, both women beam at each other while Kelley responds with a similar level of shock and enthusiasm. "I'm just visiting a buddy of mine for a few days. What the fuck, I didn't know you still lived here! I thought you moved after..."

Tobin strolls up hesitantly behind Christen, clearly confused as to what the hell is happening. Christen quickly wraps her arm around Tobin's shoulder to bring her into the conversation and introduce her. "Sorry, this is Tobin. Tobin, this is Kelley. She was my roommate in college."

"Oh come on, just your roommate? I was so much more than that." Kelley jokes as she shakes hands with Tobin.

"Ok fine, Kelley is one of my dearest friends who I haven't seen in forever because she went out traveling the world, saving the planet one forest at a time." Christen explains. "Actually, you two might have a lot to talk about." She suggests looking between the two.

Kelley looks over her shoulder then back to the pair. "Hey, I'm still waiting for my friend to get off work. Would you guys want to go grab something to eat and catch up?"

Christen looks to Tobin with pleading eyes. "I mean, do you think you got enough shots?"

Tobin looks down at her camera. "I think I can make it work."

Christen notices the slight trepidation in Tobin's voice, but brushes it aside for now to accept Kelley's invitation. "Yeah that sounds great! There's a place not to far from here we could walk to. It's just pizza and beer." She suggests

"Just pizza and beer?! My two favorites, you remembered." Kelley teases, pinching Christen's cheek for effect.

"Come on, it's this way." She leads them through the botanical garden with Kelley on her arm after the redhead linked them together, while Tobin walks dutifully behind, trying not to let her face give away how uneasy she feels.

When they get to the restaurant, Christen and Kelley sit across from each other in the booth and Tobin scoots in close to Christen, ensuring that their thighs maintain contact. They order a round of beers and Kelley begins the inquisition.

"Ok Press, tell me everything. What are you doing these days? More importantly, who are you doing these days?" Kelley takes her beer, gulping down a healthy bit of it.

Christen sighs, unsure if she should dodge the question to save Tobin from the inevitable awkwardness or not. She decides to try and evade the question. "Oh, I've been super busy working. I'm writing for an online entertainment news website. It's like a knock-off buzzfeed."

"Don't let Jill hear you say that." Tobin interjects with a chuckle.

This turns Kelley's attention toward Tobin. "So you guys know each other through work then?"

Christen nods, "Yeah, she's a photographer. She and I have been working on a series together actually."

"Oh cool, what's it about?" Kelley asks, partially listening, partially scanning the menu.

Christen rubs the back of her neck, thinking of the most vague and judicious way of describing it so as not to pique Kelley's interest too much. "Oh, it's like a guide to the city when you're young and single. Not exactly hard hitting news."

Christen's attempt to brush over the articles clearly doesn't work as Kelley's attention is now entirely focused on Christen. "Wait so are you like, going on dates and writing about it?" Kelley asks with an incredulous look on her face.

"Well not exactly. I go do things in the city and write about my experiences and Tobin comes and takes pictures." Christen explains.

Kelley turns her attention to Tobin, looking at her smugly, "Well shit, if she's dragging you all over town for these 'dates' I hope she at least puts out." Kelley laughs boisterously at her own joke, but she notices that Tobin and Christen don't seem to be laughing quite as hard.

A beat of silence falls between the trio and Tobin looks down at her lap in an attempt to hide the uncomfortable blush creeping up her neck to her cheeks.

Kelley's eyes dart back and forth suspiciously between the two before she finally puts the pieces together. "Wait. Press?! Are you guys sleeping together?!"

Christen grimaces at Kelley's blunt revelation. "Uh, kinda?" She squeaks out.

Kelley slams her glass down excitedly on the table, wiping the beer from her mouth. "Well shit! Good for you guys. I'm glad we cleared that up cus I was gonna ask for Tobin's number if you hadn't already called dibs." She gives Tobin a playful wink.

"Kelley..."Christen groans

Kelley grabs her stomach, laughing hard. "I'm kidding I'm kidding. I want dirt later though. Sorry, Tobin, best friend protocol."

Tobin laughs at the animated redhead. "No need to explain."

Kelley falls back against the booth, crossing her arms in front of her chest, smiling at the pair. "Wow. So how long has this been a thing?"

Christen smiles, rubbing her hand over Tobin's leg, letting her know they're in this together. "It's pretty recent, but it's been good so far." Christen turns to lock eyes with Tobin who smiles back widely at her.

"Alright, enough of the googly eyes, I'm gonna lose my appetite." Kelley gags for effect.

Their conversation is interrupted when Christen's phone starts buzzing on the table. "Sorry, it's work. I need to take this. I'll be right back. Be nice." She directs this last command at Kelley as she grabs her phone and scoots out of the booth leaving Tobin and Kelley alone together.

Once Christen's out of earshot, Kelley starts up conversation. "So, she seems happy. I'm guessing that's partially your doing."

Tobin laughs lightly. "I hope so. She's pretty great."

Kelley nods along, taking a sip from her mostly empty pint glass. "Yeah, she is. I tried to snag her when we first met, but alas, we were meant to be strictly platonic."

"Oh, did you guys date?" Tobin asks, somewhat surprised by the pairing.

"I wouldn't say date so much as 'use each other to figure out our sexual orientation while we were drunk' buddies. Strictly above the waist stuff, don't worry. Freshman year is a bit of a blur." Kelley concedes candidly, finishing off the last of her beer before continuing. "Yeah, that didn't last long though once she met Vero."

Tobin's brows knit together as she tries to take in all this information and put the pieces together. "Is that her ex?"

Kelley nods as she tries to wave down the waitress to order another beer. "Yeah, she was in a bunch of Christen's classes since they were both communications majors. You want another?" Kelley shoots her a glance as the waitress stands over them.

Tobin looks down at her barely touched drink and shakes her head. "No I'm good."

Once the waitress leaves with Kelley's drink order, Kelley returns to her train of thought. "They were together off and on all through college. I wasn't a huge fan of all the shit she put Christen through, but she was Christen's first love, so I get that it's hard to let go of that."

The waitress quickly returns with Kelley's beer which she immediately drinks. Tobin sits back, stunned by this outpouring of information. "Yeah, first loves are a big deal." she manages to get out.

"Yeah, when they finally broke up for good, I wasn't sure Christen was gonna ever get back out there. But here you are." Kelley leans back into the booth, sizing Tobin up from across the table.

Tobin shrugs with a half smile, unsure what to say under Kelley's watchful stare. "Here I am."

Kelley exhales audibly, her tone becoming more serious and her gaze intensifying "You know I'd do anything for that girl, including kick your ass, so don't fuck it up. She deserves the world."

Tobin nods earnestly. "I know, I won't."

Kelley bobs her head, her demeanor shifting back to it's previous lightness. "Alright, well if we're gonna have fun tonight, I'm gonna need you to loosen up." She pushes Tobin's beer closer to her. "Drink up, I want to try and get some dirt out of you tonight."

Christen returns shortly, looking a bit more frazzled than before.

"Everything ok?" Tobin prods

"Yeah, they said they didn't get my article, but I could have sworn I emailed it to them before we left..."

Kelley interjects before she can finish her anxious thought. "Chris, relax. Just email it to them again later. Like you said, it's not exactly hard-hitting news. The city will still turn without your brilliant commentary on date ideas."

Christen rolls her eyes, a little perturbed by Kelley's mocking, but she knows she's right, and her shoulders relax as she lets out a sigh.

Kelley smiles smugly from across the table. "There we go, all better. Now lets get some pizza before I gnaw my own arm off."

They finish a pizza between the three of them and Kelley makes sure the beers keep flowing with the conversation. When the check finally comes, Kelley snatches it from the center of the table. Christen scoff at Kelley "Kel, you don't need to pay for all of us. You're the guest."

Kelley shakes her head. "Nope, I got it. I interrogated your girlfriend and crashed your date. Plus I'm pretty sure I got you drunk so you'll probably have to get an uber home anyway. It's the least I can do."

Christen relents and lets Kelley hand her card over to the waitress to pay.

As they stand outside near the exit of the restaurant, they exchange hugs and goodbyes before Kelley gets in her uber. "Bye Chris, love you. Don't be a stranger next time you're in my neck of the woods. Tobin, it was good to meet you and remember what I told you."

Tobin nods with a smirk on her lips and waves goodbye along with Christen who calls out to the redhead as she slides into the car. "Love you too Kel, be safe."

Once the car drives off, the sidewalk is still and the city is surprisingly silent. They stand in a moment of quiet before Christen interjects. "So, did she threaten to beat you up if you hurt me?"

Tobin laughs. "Yup, pretty much."

They start walking back toward Tobin's apartment, knowing it's not too far of a walk, especially on a nice night like this.

"She also told me you guys hooked up." Tobin jabs playfully

Christen scoffs "Hardly. More like we got drunk at parties and made out with each other because we were both horny 18 year old closet cases. Trust me, it wasn't anything serious."

Tobin pries further. "She also told me about your ex, Vero. She sounded pretty serious."

"She was. I told you before, I thought she was the one so we went through a lot of stuff together, good and bad." Christen reminisces looking straight ahead.

"From what Kelley said, it sounds like there was a lot of bad."

Christen lets out a frustrated sigh, "Tobin, I don't really want to talk about it. It's in the past and it sucked, but it's fine now. I'm over it. That's part of the reason I like you so much. You don't know about my history and all my baggage. It's nice to just have a clean slate you know?"

"Well what if I want to know about your history. Everyone has baggage, Chris."

"What's your baggage then?" Christen challenges, her tone becoming slightly accusatory.

"I've never been in love with anyone. That's pretty big baggage." Tobin divulges simply.

Conversation stills. They walk silently next to each other, both stewing in their own thoughts as cars pass by them on the street to light their way. A melancholy fog starts to make it's way into Christen's mind as she ruminates about her past, trying to push down the unwanted memories. Her thoughts are interrupted when Tobin quietly remarks. "You know what else Kelley said?"

Christen sighs audibly, bracing herself for something to dig her deeper into the trench of her past. "What?"

"She called me your girlfriend."

Christen looks over to Tobin who's smiling lightly at her. Christen nods and lets out a breathy laugh. "She did didn't she."

"You didn't correct her." Tobin adds

"Should I have?" Christen asks

Tobin shakes her head, smirking "No. Sounds good to me."

Christen reaches for Tobin's hand, lacing their fingers together as they walk. "Sounds good to me too."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for keeping up with the story. The next couple chapters are a little angsty so stay tuned...


	10. Creature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if this needs a trigger warning, but there's some stranger danger embedded in here so just a heads up. Also, listen to the song Creature by It.Looks.Sad. It'll make you feel like you're in an indie movie montage.

They lay in bed together, the movie they'd put on earlier all but forgotten, flickering in the background as Tobin lays on top of Christen, kissing her neck and pushing her hips into the other woman. It's not that Christen isn't enjoying this, it's just that her brain can't seem to stop working on overdrive, replaying the conversation they'd had several nights ago after meeting Kelley at the botanical gardens.

The question itches at her until she finally can't hold it in any longer. "Um, Tobin?"

She pushes lightly on Tobin's shoulders, separating them until she can see Tobin's eyes. "Yeah, what's going on? You ok?"

Christen bites her lip. "Can we talk about something?"

Tobin rolls off of Christen to the other side of the bed, looking more than a little puzzled. "Uh, yeah, sure. What's going on?"

"Sorry, I just can't stop thinking about the conversation we had a couple nights ago after dinner with Kelley." She looks up at Tobin to try and gauge her willingness to continue this conversation, but Tobin's expression remains neutral. She continues "Can I ask you something, and you have to promise not to get upset or think I'm judging you or anything."

Tobin repositions, sitting up a little straighter now, looking even more perplexed. "Can't make any promises, but go for it."

"It's just...when you said you've never been in love with anyone before, were you just trying to make me feel better or where you being serious?"

"Why would I lie about that?"

"I don't know, it just seems hard to imagine."

"Maybe for you. I just never clicked with someone like that."

"Did you ever really give it a chance though?"

Tobin's brows furrow in discontentment, looking more uncomfortable with this conversation now. "I told you, I traveled so much, it wasn't worth getting that close to someone only to leave a few weeks later. It didn't make sense."

"So you're saying the whole time you were traveling, you never met someone who made you want to throw all that out the window?"

"No, I never said that. I said it just didn't make sense so I didn't let myself fall for anyone like that."

"But did you want to?"

Tobin sits up fully now, looking at Christen intensely. "Why are you asking me this?"

"I'm just curious. I told you about my past, I just wanted to hear about yours." Christen replies, both feeling a little defensive now.

"Yeah, well, there's not much to tell. I fucked a bunch of girls and none of them ever loved me. Sorry it's not a fairytale romance." Tobin gets up from the bed, searching the floor for her discarded shirt

"Tobin, that's not what I'm saying." Christen reaches out to pull Tobin back, but Tobin quickly pulls her arm away.

"What are you saying then?"

"I just want to know why you never let yourself fall in love? Are you that scared of getting hurt or something?"

Tobin scoffs "Coming from the girl who couldn't date for two years because she got her heart broken by someone who didn't even treat her right."

"You don't know anything about that, Tobin. You have no right to judge me for that. I just don't want to end up falling for someone who can't reciprocate it. And given your track record..."

Tobin stands in a state of disbelief in the middle of the bedroom. A heavy silence fills the room. "You're right, I don't know what it's like to be in love and have my heart broken. I've never loved someone, and no one's ever loved me, and at this rate, maybe no one ever will."

"Tobin, come on. I didn't mean it like that."

"No, you know what, this is exactly why I never got too close to anyone. People get attached and feelings get hurt when they don't live up to each others expectations. I thought maybe it would be different this time but..."

Tobin grabs her keys from the dresser and slides her shoes on.

"Where are you going?"

Tobin pauses in the doorway, not bothering to look back at Christen. "I just need to get some air."

With that, Tobin pushes past the bedroom door and pads through the apartment until Christen hears the echo of the front door closing shut tightly.

Christen brings her knees to her chest, bowing her head into her lap. "Fuck."

***

Tobin doesn't come back that evening, and Christen's texts go unanswered. The only way she knows that Tobin's still alive by the end of the night is from stalking her twitter and seeing that she re-tweeted something benign about surfing. But before she closes the app, she realizes there's a DM for her...from Vero.

"Hey! Kelley said she saw you last weekend. Said you sounded good. I wanted to hear for myself. How are you?"

She knows she shouldn't even bother responding, but the nagging pang of embitterment and rejection makes her want to do something rash and self-destructive. She replies

"Why don't we do drinks and you can see for yourself. The old spot? 8:30 tomorrow?"

  
She doesn't have to wait long for a reply "See you then ;)"

Christen lets out a long frustrated groan, knowing this is a bad idea, but she feels vengeful enough that she doesn't immediately cancel the plans. Tomorrow's going to be full of awkward.

***

The next day, Christen arrives early to the office and makes the first pot of coffee, feeling a bit wistful that she doesn't have her usual coffee buddy to help get through her first cup. Instead, she has Joey, who's prattering on about some game he watched last night. Christen had all but tuned him out, focusing on the steam rising from her mug, until the familiar figure of Tobin enters the room. She looks up, her eyes tracking Tobin as the lanky brunette makes her way over to the coffee pot to fill her own mug.

The silence is painful between them and even Joey seems to have picked up on the tension, his running commentary ceasing.

"Morning" Christen offers in an attempt to break the unbearable silence.

"Hey." Tobin finishes filling her mug and brushes past Christen as if she didn't even know her, seemingly unbothered by her presence. Christen would have rather had her scream and yell, or shoot death glares at her. This aloofness was almost worse.

Once Tobin leaves the break room, Christen hears a long whistle from Joey. "Woah, what happened to you two? You guys break up or something?"

Christen rolls her eyes "What are you talking about?" she tries to be nonchalant as she takes a hesitant sip of her steaming coffee.

"Ok, can we skip the part where you pretend you guys aren't fucking and then I have to ask you a million questions to pry it out of you until you begrudgingly admit it. You aren't as sly as you think you are. You've basically been spending the past month attached at the hip and that interaction just now was like,...really weird."

Christen groans into her coffee mug, not sure if she really wants to open up about this to Joey of all people.

He continues "So what happened?"

Christen relents, setting her coffee mug down on the counter. "We kinda had a fight."

"And?"

"I may have inadvertently accused her of being unable to love."

"Damn Press, that's harsh, even for you."

She shoots him a glare. "It's not like I did it on purpose!"

"Well what are you gonna do about it? Have you apologized yet?"

"She said she wanted some space so I'm trying to give her space."

Joey leans back in his chair, scoffing smugly. "She doesn't want space, trust me. Girls say they want space, but they don't want space. They want you to sulk around until you feel guilty enough to grovel for their forgiveness."

"I'll keep that in mind." Christen heads toward the door, mulling over Joey's curt, but but not terrible advice.

Christen plops down at her desk, scrolling through emails, trying to distract herself with anything to keep her mind off of the brunette at the back of the office. She spends most of the morning looking at news articles reasoning she needs to keep up to date with current events as a "news" writer.

On one particular website, she clicks on a related article that takes her to the daily horoscopes section. She wouldn't normally put any stock in astrology, but with the way things have been going, she's inclined to take a look, just in case. She finds her star sign and reads the small passage beneath it:

"You may need to have an uncomfortable conversations. Tread lightly, this will lead to suffering if not done with tact."

Christen scoffs at this fortune cookie prediction, but re-reads the quote before clicking to the next article, her mind flitting to the possible 'uncomfortable conversations' she's likely to have today.

When she can't stare at her computer screen anymore, Christen gets up to stretch, noticing the gurgle of her empty stomach. She looks at her watch and realizes she'd done a pretty decent job at wasting the morning and people were filtering in and out of the office for lunch. She grabs her wallet and heads to the nearby deli to grab a sandwich to get out of the office.

She's been spoiled the last few months and had Tobin to keep her company while they ate. Standing in line alone in the busy deli was something she hadn't done in quite some time.

When she gets her sandwich, she goes to sit at the counter lining the giant window facing the street so she can watch the passerbys. She swivels restlessly in her stool as she takes her first bites, watching people come and go across the facade of the deli. She lets out a sigh, thinking back to when she took Tobin here for lunch on her first day. Even then, at that early stage, she should have known that Tobin was transient. She's been a nomad her whole adult life, why did Christen expect her to suddenly change her ways all at once? Why did she think their story would follow a typical trajectory? At this point, Christen's not sure if she should be mad at herself for not realizing this sooner, or just mad at the universe for plopping Tobin in her lap at the wrong time. Or were they just too different to fall in love? Was she falling in love with Tobin?

Christen looks down at her barely touched sandwich and wraps it up hastily, wanting to get out of the deli that suddenly feels like the walls are closing in on her. She rushes back down the block and barrels through the building, not bothering to exchange pleasantries with her coworkers as she passes, until she reaches her office and closes the door swiftly behind her. She leans against it, trying to catch her breath, but her heart won't stop pounding, demanding more oxygen from her lungs.

She makes her way to the small couch near the door and collapses onto it, resting her head in her hands roughly, trying to physically force her brain to silence.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a gentle knock on the door. Christen's attention shifts and she tries to collect herself before cracking the door open and peeking out.

"Hey, are you ok? You looked kinda sick, like you were gonna throw up or something." Tobin asks hesitantly.

"I just might." Christen says almost under her breath

"Oh. Uh, I think there's some Sprite in the fridge, you want me to grab you some?"

"No, I'm fine. I just need to get back to work."

Tobin recoils, defeated. "Oh, ok. Hope you feel better."

Tobin pulls the door closed and wanders off, leaving Christen feeling as though she'd just kicked a dog. She knows that this was Tobin's attempt at extending an olive branch of sorts, but Christen just isn't ready to face her, especially in the middle of the work day.

The hours pass by slowly, but the clock eventually moves forward. Once Christen determines that it's late enough to duck out, she slinks out of her office, locking the door behind her as quietly as possible.

"Heading out early?" Jill's voice is grating behind her shoulder.

Christen fumbles to come up with an adequate excuse for leaving early. "Yeah, I'm having some--female issues and just..."

"Say no more, I know how that goes! Get yourself home and make yourself a cup of tea. Always worked for me." Jill gives her a knowing wink.

Christen laughs politely and continues past Jill to the exit.

When she gets to her car, Christen lets out a sigh, releasing some anxiety from avoiding Tobin all day. However, this small reprieve is brief and her mind immediately goes to the next stressor waiting for her in several hours...Vero.

She berates herself for asking to meet. She'd done it in a fit of vindictiveness and now sorely regrets her decision. But at this point, it would be too late to cancel. Christen prides herself on following through, even if it makes her wildly nervous and uncomfortable. Not to mention, she didn't want to look like a coward for chickening out. She looks at the clock on her dash, calculating how much time she has to gather the fortitude for drinks later, and drives home to reset and recharge a bit.

***

After a long shower, Christen searches through her closet to find an outfit that perfectly embodies her feelings of "I want you to see that I look great, but not in a way that makes me look desperate for attention."

After settling on a green blouse and jeans, she pulls her leather jacket off the hanger to slide on before she goes. She finishes the look with some light makeup and settles with her naturally wavy hair, knowing it will likely get put up into a ponytail anyway once she gets too annoyed with it to leave it down.

She takes one last look in the mirror, before grabbing her jacket and making the walk to the bar she'd frequented so many times before.

When she steps inside the dimly lit building, a rush of memories suddenly comes surging back, causing her to pause in the doorway. After taking a breath to collect herself, she looks around the building and doesn't see a familiar face, so she heads to the bar and slides onto a stool against the counter after ordering a drink.

She sits sipping her whiskey soda, scrolling through apps in an attempt to appear busy and squash any inkling that she might want to start a conversation with a stranger. Despite this, she's still approached.

"Hey, haven't seen you around here in a while."

Christen turns, initially feeling annoyed that she'd been interrupted, but is met with a familiar gaze. "Hey, sorry, I didn't see you come in." Christen stands, unsure what the protocol is for this greeting.

Vero seems to sense this hesitation and steps forward to bring her into a brief, but friendly hug. Finding her seat back on the stool, Christen relaxes a bit seeing how calm and amicable Vero is.

Vero also sits and orders a drink before she turns her attention back to Christen. "Oh I just walked in and saw you sitting here. You're hard to miss."

Christen furrows her brows playfully "Is that a compliment?"

Vero smiles "Definitely."

They both take long sips from their drinks, both obviously trying to figure out where to even start.

"So Kelley came into town and said she saw you. Did you guys get a chance to hang out?" Vero asks

"Yeah, we randomly bumped into each other at the botanical gardens and went and got dinner. It was great getting to see her. I had no idea she'd be in town."

"Well to be fair, I'm not sure she knew you would be in town."

"Yeah, why did she think I'd move away?"

Vero shrugs "I dunno. Maybe she thought when we broke up...you took it pretty hard. Maybe she figured you'd want to move on and start fresh somewhere."

"Nope, still here. Guess we'll have to share the city."

"We've been doing a pretty good job of it so far. I haven't seen you since."

"Well it's easy to avoid someone when you know all their favorite spots."

"They were your favorite spots too."

Christen hums and looks away, not wanting to delve further into the topic. She changes the subject. "So what have you been up to? Are you still working in the PT clinic?" Christen stirs her drink idly.

"Uh, yup. They're just about to open up another location and make me head PT so that's exciting."

"Wow congratulations! I know you worked hard for that, that's what you always wanted to do."

"Thanks. Yeah it's been pretty great. And I'll get to pick the staff to come with me once we open."

"Very cool. Is Shirley still working there? She was always really nice to me."

Veto shifts uncomfortably in her seat. "Uh, yeah. Actually we're kinda dating."

Christen tries to hide the unsettled feeling in her voice. "Oh. How long have you guys been a thing?"

Vero grimaces, knowing her answer won't be what Christen wants to hear. "About two years."

Christen struggles to maintain her composure. "So, you guys started dating immediately after we broke up or did you at least give it a couple days."

"Chris." Vero groans.

"No, really, it's fine. I'm glad you found someone else so quickly. Lucky you"

"Well what about you? You've gotta have people lining up to date you. Just about everyone in this bar has been checking you out since I got here." Vero was always good at deflecting and talking her way out of uncomfortable conversations.

Christen hesitates, the name on the tip of her tongue dances there but at this point, she's not so sure where they stand. "It's complicated."

"Complicated how?"

Christen sighs, not really wanting to get into the details of her current girlfriend with her ex girlfriend, but she doesn't really have anyone else to talk to about it, Joey excluded. "We kinda just had a fight and I'm not sure what's going on with us now."

Vero shrugs. "That's ok, people fight. It doesn't mean they don't love each other."

"That's the thing, we're fighting because she says she's never been in love before, and I kinda gave her a hard time about it."

Vero shakes her head with a knowing smirk. "That's not true. She's been in love before."

Christen's brows furrow skeptically "How would you know, you've never even met her."

"Trust me, if she's with you, she's already fallen for you. When we first started dating, I was already in love with you after our first date. I had to hold that in for four months so I wouldn't scare you off. It was torture! She's already in love with you, I just know it."

Christen smiles lightly at this sweet sentiment.

Vero continues. "And you know what? If she's really never been in love before, show her what it means. Show her how. Maybe she just needs a little push."

Christen gives Vero a smirk. "God, you're such a romantic."

"How do you think I got you to date me?"

Christen finishes her drink, smiling into her glass.

Vero watches her and comments. "You really like her huh?"

Christen nods, chewing the inside of her cheek.

"Well what are you doing here with me then? You should be out there sweeping her off her feet!"

"What about Shirley? What are YOU doing here with ME?" Christen quips back.

"This was Shirley's idea. She said we needed closure, since you know, things didn't end on such a good note."

"She's sweet. I knew I liked her."

"Well, if you and your woman figure things out, let me know. Maybe we can go on a double date or something."

Christen gives her an incredulous look.

Vero laughs "Yeah, maybe not. The whole being friends with your ex thing is so gay. Why do we feel the need to do that?"

Christen interjects "How about this. Maybe we'll see you out sometime and I'll buy you a drink."

"Yeah you owe me after paying for all your drinks for five years."

Christen gives her a challenging glare but just rolls her eyes and smiles. "I should probably get going, I have work in the morning." She slides from her seat to stand next to the bar, putting a twenty on the countertop. "I have to admit, I was kinda nervous to see you, but I'm glad I did."

Vero gets up from her seat to stand with Christen and brings her into a warm hug. "I'm glad you came out too." She steps back, still holding onto Christen's arm protectively. "I hope you get your girl."

"Me too."

"She'd be stupid not to have you."

Christen smiles at the floor. "Thanks."

Shirley looks at her phone as it vibrates in her hand. "Ok, I should get going too. Shirley's gonna be cranky if I don't get home by bedtime." She jokes

They walk out together into the night air and give each other one final hug goodbye before heading in separate directions. Christen can't believe she'd ever let go of her feelings for Vero, whether it was the love of being her first girlfriend, or resentment for being her first heartbreak. But after seeing her today, there were no strong feelings, no roller coaster of emotions, just a hint of nostalgia for someone you've known deeply in a past life. They may never be close friends, but Christen thinks she wouldn't mind running into her at a bar sometime and buying her that drink.

As she walks back, Christen mulls over their conversation, oblivious to the biting cold, oblivious to the dark unlit sidewalk, and oblivious to the shadow that had been following her for two blocks.

As she stands at the crosswalk waiting for the light to change, she feels a presence standing inches behind her. A chill goes down her spine and she feels cold hard metal pressing into the small of her back. Her heart pounds against her chest and her whole body shakes with fear as her mind catches up with her body that was so quick to realize the danger.

"Don't move, don't scream, just give me all the cash in your wallet." The low voice growls.

Christen's hands tremble as she opens her wallet and thumbs through the bills. She holds them up for him to grab, not daring to turn around or make any sudden movements. "Here. It's everything I have." Her voice is small but she tries to keep it calm and level so as not to agitate the man further.

He snatches the bills over her shoulder. "The ring too."

Christen looks to the ring on her index finger, a present from her parents years ago. She's worn it so much, it feels like an extension of her hand seeing as she never takes it off. She hesitates and regretfully shimmies the ring off her finger, holding it just above her shoulder for the man to grab.

He snatches the ring and just like that, Christen hears quick footsteps running away from her. She exhales in a cry, finally letting out the breath she's been holding in. She turns, looking all around to see if anyone was witness to what just happened, but she finds that she's alone once more in the dark.

Frightened tears trail from her eyes as she practically jogs the last few blocks to her apartment. Once safely behind the assurance of the deadbolt, she sinks against the door onto a crumpled mass on the floor. Her breaths are panicked and shallow. She tries to calm herself but she's so overwhelmed she can't get her lungs to take a full breath.

She fumbles in her pocket for her phone to call the only person who can calm her.

"Hello?" Tobin answers in a groggy voice.

"Tobin?" Christen chokes out, barely above a whisper.

"Chris, are you ok?" Her voice more alert now.

Christen tries to hold it together enough to let out a simple sentence, but all that comes out are ragged breaths laced with tears.

"Are you at your apartment? I'm coming over. Just hold on, I'll be there as fast as I can." Christen can hear the brunette rustling through her apartment, undoubtedly searching for her keys. "I'll be right there. Just stay there ok? You're gonna be fine."

***

Christen jumps when she hears a knock on the door.

"Hey it's just me" she hears the brunette's muffled voice through the door.

Christen cracks the door, only swinging it open fully once she confirms that it is indeed Tobin.

The brunette slips in through the half-opened door, her face painted with calm concern. She runs her hands assuredly down Christen's arms, trying to get a feel for her current state. "Hey, are you ok?"

Christen's brave face quickly crumbles and she collapses into Tobin's arms. Tobin wraps her arms around the shaking woman, rubbing her back and cradling her head protectively. "Shh, it's ok. Come on, lets go sit down."

Tobin leads them through the apartment until they come to rest on the couch. Christen pulls away from Tobin's embrace to wipe her face and try to regain some semblance of composure. "I'm sorry, I know it's late. I was just scared and didn't know who else to call."

"You can always call me, don't worry about it." Tobin tucks a stray strand of hair behind Christen's ear, wiping a tear away with the pad of her thumb. "What happened?"

Christen takes a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm as she recalls the events from earlier that night. "I was walking home and I guess I wasn't paying attention and all of a sudden there was this guy behind me with a gun and he told me to give him my cash, so I did. And I don't even care about the money, but I guess he saw my ring so he took that too. My parents gave it to me back in high school and now I'll never get that back. And I was just so scared I couldn't do anything but just hand it over." tears start pooling in her eyes.

"It's ok, you did exactly what you're supposed to do. And no ring is worth risking your life for. I know it was special to you, but you're worth so much more than that ring, trust me."

Christen bobs her head at this consolation, her eyes downcast, tracing the patterns on the couch cushions. Tobin continues. "I'm sorry that happened to you. That's a scary thing to have to experience."

Christen musters a weak smile, grateful that Tobin is with her to help her process. "Thank you. I just needed someone to talk to and make me feel safe again."

"I make you feel safe?" A hint of a smile graces Tobin's lips at this admission.

"Yeah of course. I know we kinda hit a rough patch, but..."

"Hey, we don't need to talk about that right now. We can table it for later ok?"

Christen nods, grateful that Tobin's willing to let her process tonight first before delving into another emotionally draining topic.

"How can I make you feel better? Are you hungry? Have you eaten? Do you need to change into something more comfortable?" Tobin looks her over, taking note of her outfit. "Did you go out or something?"

"Can we put that into the tabled conversation category too?" Christen definitely doesn't want to have that conversation tonight either.

"Yeah, we'll have plenty of time to figure shit out later." Tobin gets up from her spot on the couch. "How about I make us some popcorn and we can watch something nice to take your mind off of things. How does that sound?"

Christen nods her head vehemently "Yeah, I like that a lot. I'm just gonna go clean up this mess and I'll be right back." she motions to her face which is undoubtedly covered in smudged makup by now.

"You look gorgeous as ever, just saying" Tobin smiles earnestly

Christen smirks as she pads into her room and scrounges through a pile of dirty clothes, pulling out some sweatpants and a tshirt. She changes quickly and pops into the bathroom to assess the damage. Her hair is a frazzled mess and her mascara is everywhere but on her eyelashes. She quickly cleans up the damage, smiling to herself that Tobin didn't even seem fazed by her disheveled appearance, or the fact that she didn't even have to ask for her to come over and comfort her. Maybe Vero was right, maybe she does love me.

She comes back out into the living room to find Tobin lounging on the couch with a bowl of fresh popcorn in her lap, scrolling through Netflix. Christen stands in the doorway grinning at the scene.

"What? Everything ok?" Tobin asks with a mouth full of popcorn.

Christen shakes her head. "It's nothing. I'm just really glad your here."

Tobin returns a genuine smile "I'm really glad I'm here too."

They gaze at each other in mutual admiration from across the room, content to let the moment sink in before Christen plops down beside the brunette, sliding beneath the throw blanket to nuzzle into Tobin's side.

"What are you in the mood for?" Tobin asks quietly, placing a gentle kiss on top of Christen's head.

"Something happy and easy." Christen sighs, snuggling further into the brunette.

"Happy and easy. I can do that."

They sit entangled on the couch, letting the movie help them escape from the reality they'll inevitable have to face. But for right now, in this moment, Christen's happy to let Tobin stroke her hair and run her fingertips down her arm. She's happy to listen to the steady rhythm of Tobin's heart as it beats steadily inside her chest. She's happy to close her eyes and relax into the comfortable familiarity of it all. She's happy

 

 


	11. I Might Be Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who played along on Tumblr. It's always nice to see who's keeping up with the story. This chapter's a little on the short side, but I promise I'll make it up to you on the next one.

  
"It'll just be for a little while. I told you, you don't have to go out if you don't want to." Vero says to the mirror as she puts the finishing touches on her makeup.

Christen stands in the doorway of the bathroom, arms crossed defensively across her chest. "Yeah but if I don't go, you'll just stay out all night. Why can't we just have one weekend where I get you all to myself."

Vero turns around, giving Christen a dismissive peck on the cheek as she passes her through the doorway to grab her jacket from the bed. "Oh come on, we don't want to be those lesbians who never go out and spend our weekends online shopping for throw pillows and cat toys."

Christen rolls her eyes "We don't even have a cat."

Vero slips on her jacket, pulling her hair from under the collar. "That's not the point. The point is, you don't want to be boring right?"

Christen sighs and begrudgingly agrees. "No, I don't want to be boring."

"Then come out with me and our friends."

"Your friends, technically."

"Well they'd be your friends too if you put in more of an effort. And, I don't see you trying to make any other friends."

"You met them at work! Cus you have a job! It's hard to make 'work friends' when you can't get hired anywhere."

Vero lets out a frustrated groan. "Not this again Chris, not now. We're about to go out, do you have to start an argument and ruin the night before it's already started?"

"I'm not starting an argument. I'm just saying that you have all these friends from your job and I don't have anyone! I can only listen to you guys talk about the clinic and how much prewrap you went through this week so many times." Christen mocks.

"I'm sorry, that's what we all have in common! If you don't want to hear about that stuff, then you can either find someone else to talk to, or just stay home."

"But I want to talk to you! I want to be with you! That's the problem. You're always so busy hanging out with them, I don't ever get to see you."

"We live together, we see each other every night. Is that not enough for you?"

"But it's not like it used to be. It's like we're roommates, not girlfriends. We just cohabitate."

"Yeah, you're right, it's not like it used to be. You used to fuck me."

Christen scoffs "Well I don't see you initiating anything!"

"Yeah because I was tired of getting shot down so I just stopped trying. I can only handle so much rejection Chris"

"Oh my god, don't be so dramatic." She rolls her eyes. "Fine, go out. Go flirt with some random girl at the bar. Maybe she'll fuck you cus you're girlfriend's too frigid and pathetic to do it herself."

"Fine! At least someone will act like they want me!"

Christen lets out a frustrated growl. "I do want you! That's the whole issue!"

"Then show me. Fuck me right here. Go ahead." Vero challenges

Christen scoffs at Vero's pompous challenge. "No, fuck off. I'm not doing that."

Vero shrugs her shoulders, slipping on her jacket and grabbing her car keys. "Fine, that's your choice then. I'm going out. You can stay here and be sad and boring. I'm not going to let you ruin my night." Before she leaves through the door, she turns back toward Christen. "You're lucky I'm still with you. No one else would ever put up with this bullshit."

"Oh fuck you."

"I already asked and you rejected me, again--surprise... Don't wait up." Vero responds smugly as she slams the door shut behind her.

***

Christen wakes from her sleep, her heart pounding as she relives the painful memory from her past. She takes some deep breaths to try and calm her body once more, but it's proving difficult. She tries a grounding technique she learned in therapy years ago.

Her eyes scan her dark but familiar room, taking in the outlines of the dresser she'd bought when she got her first "big girl" paycheck, the framed poster of a blueberry festival she'd stumbled upon in Maine while visiting a friend for their birthday. Her eyes finally fall to the warm lump beside her that had quickly started becoming a more permanent fixture in her bed. She smiles a little at this thought, but her mind quickly reverts back to the reason Tobin was here in the first place and all the things they'd need to sort out once the sun peeks over the horizon.

Christen rustles under the covers, trying to get re-situated into a more comfortable position and will herself back to sleep, hoping to delay the morning just another hour or so, but to no avail. She sighs and scoots out from beneath the covers, tiptoeing through her bedroom and inching behind the crack in the door into the living room. She pads into the kitchen and fills up a glass of water, gulping it down quickly.

She leans against the counter, looking out into her living room, staring blankly as her mind plays out conversations with Tobin in her head, each more emotional than the last. She knows it's a futile act, these rehearsals never play out the same way in real life, but she can't help herself from trying to come up with at least a few ways to explain herself to the sleeping brunette, knowing she'll likely fumble through it once the actual conversation happens.

Her thoughts are interrupted when she sees Tobin come out from behind the bedroom door, her hair a mess, her eyes squinting to adjust to the kitchen lighting. She stands in the doorway in a tshirt and underwear, rubbing her eyes until they're able to scan the room and find Christen.

"Hey, what are you doing up?" Christen asks

"I could say the same to you." Tobin's voice is gravely and laced with sleep. She walks over to the kitchen and wraps her arms around the dark haired woman, resting her head against her. "Why are you awake? We still have a couple hours before we have to get up for work." She kisses Christen's shoulder in an attempt to woo her back into bed.

Christen spins in Tobin's arms until they're face to face. "I couldn't sleep so I just got up. I didn't mean to wake you up too."

"Are you still thinking about that guy last night?" Tobin asks.

Christen's small smile falters as she tucks a loose strand of hair behind the brunette's ear. "Actually, I was thinking about you...well, us."

"Only good things I hope." Tobin attempts to stifle a yawn.

When Christen doesn't immediately respond, Tobin's mood shifts and she suddenly becomes more alert. "Wait, were you thinking bad things about us?"

Christen shakes her head. "No, it's nothing. We can talk about it later when it's not so early. Just go back to sleep and I'll come wake you up in a couple hours."

"Well now I'm definitely not gonna be able to fall back asleep. Not with that explanation." Tobin says, only half-joking.

"No it's just..." Christen shifts uncomfortably now, all of her practiced conversations thrown out the window. "I was thinking about the other night and, I'm sorry--for everything I said about your past. It was bitchy and stupid and I didn't mean any of it. I shouldn't have judged you for how you've dated in the past."

Tobin nods along earnestly. "It's ok. I owe you an apology too. I shouldn't have brought up your ex either."

Christen sighs audibly at this mention. "There's actually something else I need to apologize for."

Tobin shifts her weight, looking puzzled.

"That's where I was last night. I went to meet Vero for a drink. Nothing happened, I promise. We just talked, but I feel like I went behind your back to do it and I only did it because I was mad or frustrated with you, or, I don't know..."

"So you saw your ex to make me jealous or what?" Tobin's voice is a combination of anger and sadness.

"No! I mean, I don't know... I just wasn't thinking."

"Yeah no shit."

"Are you mad at me?" Christen asks weakly.

Tobin scoffs. "No I'm super stoked you went and saw Vero after we had a fight."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Of course I'm upset! What, I'm supposed to be happy that you went and saw your ex cus you were mad at me? Yeah, ok..."

"Tobin, I told you, nothing happened."

"I don't care! It's not what you did, it's the intention behind it. How do I know that the next time we get in a fight, you won't do something with her, or somebody else for that matter. I can't trust you if that's how you deal with shit."

"Of course you can trust me!"

"Why? You haven't really given me a good reason to."

Tears start falling from Christen's eyes. "Tobin, I care so about you! You have to know that."

"Then fucking act like it."

Tobin turns to head toward the bedroom and reappears several moments later now fully dressed with her keys in hand and camera backpack in tow. "I need to go home and get ready for work."

"Can I see you later? Tonight maybe? I wanna fix this." Christen asks hesitantly, hoping that a little time will allow tensions to cool so she can plead her case and make up for things.

Tobin pauses, looking unsure at how she wants to answer. "Yeah, just text me." She responds reluctantly.

Tobin slips out the front door, leaving Christen feeling a knot of guilt in her stomach. She looks at the clock on the stove and reasons there's no point in going back to bed now, not that she'd be able to fall back asleep anyway. She starts a pot of coffee and goes to sit on the couch while she waits for it to brew.

***

Christen wakes up to the chiming of her phone and bright morning sun streaking in through the curtains of her living room. Christen rubs her eyes momentarily before realizing in a panic that she has no idea what time it is. She quickly grabs her phone, looking at the time and the string of texts filling up her screen.

"Shit" she scrolls through her texts from co-workers asking where she is and one from Jill wondering the same thing. She quickly calls Jill, trying to figure out an apology as the line rings.

"Press, I was worried about you. Are you ok?" Jill asks

"Um, yeah I'm fine. I had kind of a rough night and must have slept through my alarm. I'm so sorry, I'll be in as soon as I can."

"No, don't worry about coming in. Tobin already told me about what happened, I wouldn't have slept last night either. I hope you call the police and they catch the guy. --Anyway, take the day. Regroup. You haven't taken a day off in a while anyway if I'm not mistaken."

"Thanks Jill."

"Now go do something fun. Remind yourself that the world isn't always so terrible."

"I will. See you tomorrow."

Christen sighs as she ends the call, not sure if she's grateful for Tobin's disclosure or not. She quickly shakes it off, realizing Tobin's intentions were likely altruistic, and she's grateful she got a much needed day off out of it. She takes a deep breath and looks down at her phone again, her thumbs hovering over the text message window.

C: [Hey, thanks for covering for me at work.]

T: [No big deal. You could probably use a day off anyway.]

C:[Definitely. Let me know when you get off work ok?]

T:[ok]

It's not the flirty texts Christen is used to, but at least Tobin is talking to her and is still open to seeing her. Christen knows she's going to have to do some serious groveling to get back into Tobin's good graces. She starts planning.

***

After calling to file a police report, they explain that there really isn't much they can do considering she didn't see his face and there were no witnesses. Christen sighs and gives them the description of her stolen ring anyway, just in case it turns up by some miracle.

Christen sighs, as her thoughts shift back to Tobin. How could she express her gratitude to the woman for being there to help her that night, while also apologizing for being a shithead.

Food.

Christen goes to the store in yoga pants and an oversized sweater, looking strikingly similar to the stay at home moms that roam the isles. She picks up a few ingredients, pushing them around in her cart until she comes upon the bakery section. She looks through pies and cookies and fresh breads, but her eyes land on a small chocolate mouse cake that has Tobin's name all over it. She picks it up, putting it in her cart amongst the other grocery items and tosses in some edible lettering as well because apologies are better when they are spelled out in tiny sugar letters

When she gets home, there are still several hours left in the work day, so after unloading the groceries, Christen tries her best to nap and recover a few more hours of sleep. Her body fights unconsciousness and she drifts in and out of dreams, making it difficult to figure out where her dreams end and real life begins. Finally, she's pulled from this state when her phone vibrates against the coffee table.

T:[Hey, I left work a little early. Do you still want to meet up?]

Christen suddenly becomes flustered. She she still has to cook dinner and make herself look presentable, not to mention her house is looking a little worse for wear and needs some picking up. It would take her at least a couple hours to get everything together.

C:[Yeah, definitely. Would you want to come over in a couple hours?]

T:[I was thinking we could meet somewhere out. I wanted to give you some space.]

C:[That would ruin my plan]

T:[You have a plan?]

C:[Come over in a couple hours and see for yourself.]

T:[Ok, see you soon.]

Christen rushes through her house on overdrive, folding blankets, putting dishes in the dishwasher, hiding dirty clothes in her closet, all while trying to keep an eye on the chicken piccata cooking in the kitchen. When she's satisfied with the meal, she places the whole pan in the oven to keep it warm while she showers and gets ready. She straightens her hair and dabs enough makeup on her face to look like she'd made an effort, without tying too hard.

Just as she slips on a clean shirt, she hears a knock at the door. Christen jumps and quickly makes her way to the door.

"Hey." They say simultaneously, standing in the doorway.

"Oh, come in. I made dinner, I hope you didn't eat already."

"No I haven't. It smells good."

They stand in the kitchen awkwardly, both at a loss for words until Christen drums up conversation. "So, how was work?"

"Same old, same old. It was a pretty quiet day."

"Thanks again for covering for me. I turned off my alarm when I woke up this morning and fell asleep after you left..."

"Chris, it's fine. You needed some time to relax."

"Well I appreciate it."

Tobin doesn't respond but bobs her head as she looks around the apartment, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

Christen picks up their stilted conversation again. "You want anything to drink? I have some wine in the fridge."

"Yeah that sounds good."

Christen pops her head into the fridge grabbing the bottle of wine but her eyes stay stuck on the cake she'd decorated earlier with the words "I'm sorry" scrawled across the top in candy lettering. She'd wanted to get through dinner first, but Christen couldn't stand the tension between them filling the room. She puts the wine on the nearby counter and pulls the cake out of the fridge. She kicks the door closed and brings the cake over to the table, plopping it down in front of Tobin.

Tobin lets out an amused laugh as she looks over the cake. "What's this?"

"Look, I'm really sorry. I was awful and made a terrible decision and I should have never gone behind your back to see Vero. It was spiteful and I'm not proud of how I've treated you the past couple days."

Tobin looks from Christen to the cake and back to Christen. "So you made me an apology cake?"

"Technically, Whole Foods made you an apology cake, but I decorated it."

Tobin smiles as she reads over the words again.

Christen continues "So what do you say. Will you forgive me for being an ass?"

Tobin hums to herself, contemplating her response. "I guess that depends on how good the cake is."

"You're going to leave me hanging all through dinner?"

"Unless we have desert first..." Tobin suggests playfully.

Christen smiles and goes to grab two forks, not bothering with plates as she sticks hers directly into the cake to take the first bite. Tobin follows suit, bringing a large bite to her mouth. Christen waits impatiently as she watches the midfielder chew.

Tobin finally swallows and licks her lips clean. "Yeah ok, you're forgiven. This cake is amazing."

They both laugh and the weight that had been bearing down on Christen's shoulders is lifted. "Can I get a kiss to seal the deal?"

Tobin nods. "Absolutely."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title of the chapter--name that artist...one of my favorites


	12. Young & Dumb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some Tobin background for ya.

"Hey, earth to Christen." Tobin waves her hands in front of green eyes as they sit side by side on the couch. It's Saturday, but Christen can't help the nagging in her brain that has her editing articles in her living room while Tobin fidgets restlessly beside her.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Christen refocuses, smiling at her girlfriend.

"I said, you've been staring at your computer all day. Why don't we go out and get some fresh air? Could be fun."

Christen closes her computer and puts it to the side. "Yeah I could use a break." She rubs her eyes. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking, there's a soccer game on this afternoon, maybe we could go to a bar and watch from there. Get some drinks, eat some greasy bar food..."

"Oh so this is just a ploy to go watch soccer." Christen chuckles, now understanding Tobin's motivation.

"Hey, it's not my fault you don't have cable." Tobin jokes.

Christen shakes her head with a knowing smile. "Yeah ok. Let me get dressed and we can head over."

"Ok. Oh! And wear something red! Gotta support the team."

Christen rolls her eyes playfully as she heads back to her room to get ready.

***

As they get out of the Uber, Christen's stomach drops and her legs feel heavy. "Wait, this is the bar you wanted to go to?"

Tobin fiddles with her phone, finishing off her Uber fare "uh huh." She answers distractedly.

"Oh ok." Christen's voice becomes suddenly small and uncertain.

Tobin picks up on this change "What's the matter? Do we need to go somewhere else?"

Christen pauses, thinking over her answer before responding. "No, it's nothing. Lets just go inside."

Since they made up the other night, everything between them has been so great. They've been so open and and communicative, but this is something Christen wasn't prepared to bring up. As they step into the bar, she's overcome with memories of her past. She'd been to this bar almost every weekend with Vero watching football games and getting drunk with her friends. It was their spot. Now, Christen has the aching feeling in her gut that something isn't quite right, but her brain ignores it, reasoning internally "what are the chances she even still comes here?"

They walk up to the bar and Tobin wraps her arm around Christen's waist as they stand waiting to order. Christen's heartbeat starts to slow finally, feeling a little more comfortable as she turns to place a kiss to Tobin's temple. "Do you want me to go find us a table while you order?"

"Oh I see how it is, leave me with the bill huh?" Tobin teases.

"You're the one who invited me."

"Touché" Tobin chuckles. "Yeah I'll grab the drinks. What do you want?"

Christen places another kiss to Tobin's temple and lowers her voice to whisper in Tobin's ear. "You know what I like."

She pulls away from Tobin who looks at Christen with lustful eyes, biting her lip to prevent a grin from overtaking her lips. Christen chuckles to herself, satisfied with the reaction she'd gotten as she goes in search of a table.

As Tobin stands at the bar waiting to be served, a shorter woman comes to stand beside her "Hey, this is gonna sound really random, but you wouldn't happen to be Christen's girlfriend would you? I just saw you talking with her."

Tobin turns toward the woman, a little caught off guard. "Uh, yeah I am. You know Christen?"

The woman chuckles smugly to herself. "Yeah I know her. I'm Vero. I'm..."

"Christen's ex." Tobin interjects.

"Yep." She stands silently for a moment, giving Tobin the once over.

"What?" Tobin questions, feeling slightly uncomfortable at this awkward interaction.

"No, it's nothing. When I heard about you, I wasn't picturing this." She gestures up and down with her finger.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing. You're beautiful, don't get me wrong. It's just, you aren't Christen's usual type I guess." She laughs lightly to herself.

"And what's her usual type then?" Tobin crosses her arms defensively in front of her chest.

"Oh I don't know--bookish intellectual, kinda 'nerdy in a sexy way' I guess."

"So you think of yourself as an intellectual then. Interesting...." Tobin responds smugly.

"Well I mean, my main source of news isn't espn, so yeah, I guess so."

Tobin suddenly feels self conscious in the jersey she'd decided to wear. "Can I help you with something or did you just come over here to passively insult me?"

Vero shrugs "Sorry, I just wanted to see what the fuss was about. When we talked last week, Christen seemed pretty smitten with you. I guess time will tell." Vero grabs her beer from the bar and takes a step back. "It was nice to meet you...uh..."

"Tobin." She growls

"Tobin, right. Tell Christen I say hey. See you around."

"I hope not." Tobin mutters under her breath.

Tobin orders their beers and takes them over to Christen, feeling more than a little put off.

"Hey, you ok? What's with the broody scowl?" Christen asks as Tobin slides into her seat.

"Guess who I just met?"

Christen's eyes go wide, knowing her gut was right as soon as they walk into the place "Who?" She asks on the off chance she's wrong.

"Vero. She's quite the gem." Tobin says, taking a large gulp of her beer.

Christen puts her head in her hands "Oh no, I'm so sorry. What did she say?"

"Basically called me a Neanderthal in comparison to her giant human brain. She says hi by the way."

"Ugh, I'm sorry. She can be a little..."

"Bitchy, arrogant, absolutely terrible." Tobin interjects dryly.

"I was going to say condescending, but yeah, all those too."

"I can't believe you dated her." Tobin wonders aloud.

"Yeah, looking back, I can't believe I dated her either."

A silence falls between them as they both sit sipping their beers before Tobin's inner monologue bursts through her lips. "Do you think I'm smart?"

Christen's brows furrow and a frown graces her lips. "Of course I think your smart! Why wouldn't I?"

Tobin shrugs "I don't know. You're such a good writer and you watch the news, you keep up with politics, and you read for fun! I'm not really into that kind of stuff. It's not like I'm going to be able to have a discussion with you about symbolism in poetry or anything like that. I just don't want you to feel like you're missing out on these deep intellectual conversations."

"Tobin, of course you're smart! You've traveled the word! You basically taught yourself photography and made a living doing it. You mean you were just bullshitting all those times we stayed up all night talking about our place in the world and the meaning of life and all that existential stuff? Seemed pretty smart to me..."

Tobin smiles lightly to herself, taking a sip of her beer to hide it.

Christen continues. "Trust me, this wouldn't have worked out if we didn't connect on that level. I think your brain is one of the sexiest thing about you." Christen teases.

"Ok, point taken. Thanks Chris." Tobin smiles from across the table.

"Anytime babe. Now lets enjoy these beers and kill off a few of these brain cells."

A few beers later, the women sit tipsy, bordering drunk, at their table. The game they had originally come to watch had been over for a while now, but that was long forgotten. Now they giggle back and fourth, finding excuses to touch each other from across the table while rambling off teasing jabs.

Tobin struggles to speak between gasps for air "I can't believe Vero was here!"

"I can" Christen rolls her eyes

"What do you mean?" Tobin's laughter starts to die down.

"We used to come here together like every weekend and watch sports with her friends."

"Sounds like lots of fun for you." Tobin says sarcastically

"Yeah I usually just ended up getting drunk and begging her to take me home. It wasn't a good look for me." Christen recalls

"Nah, she's the one that looks bad. If I was her, I would have taken you home the second you asked, just to be alone with you." Tobin smiles sweetly at Christen

"Yeah that was the idea, but she never seemed to want to spend time together. I was more of a check off her list of accomplishments. Guess that's why it didn't work out."

Tobin shakes her head disapprovingly "She's an idiot."

Christen waves off the comment, ready to change the subject. "I'm sorry, I feel like we've talked about me and my past way too much and you've never really told me much about yours. You're always so vague and mysterious. It's sexy, but pretty uninformative."

"Yeah that was on purpose." Tobin chuckles

"I'm serious. I want to hear about what you were like before you an I met. Tell me a story."

"Why do you want to know so bad?" Tobin challenges.

"Why are you so resistant?" Christen challenges back.

Tobin lets out a sigh. "You really wanna know?"

"Yeah, of course."

Tobin swirls the remaining beer in the bottom of her glass. "I'm gonna need another drink."

***

Tobin hadn't been in Venezuela long, but the town she was staying in was quaint and inviting. She found a few locals who spoke enough English, so between that and her broken Spanish, they could understand each other for the most part. She had been staying in an apartment above one of the few bars in town for the past two weeks, and had gotten to know the owner fairly well. He was nice and gave her free drinks here and there when she came downstairs to hang out in the bar after a day of shooting. She spent a lot of time in the bar as it was one of the only places in town that had air conditioning in the sweltering heat. Her apartment was usually boiling until the sun went down, so her strategy was to hang out in the bar and drink enough so she wouldn't notice the sticky heat in her apartment and be drunk enough to fall right asleep by the time she went upstairs to her bed. It worked most nights because people tended to leave her alone and let her unwind from the day in peace. This wasn't most days though.

While sitting at the bar watching a fuzzy soccer game on the old tv hanging in the corner, a woman Tobin had never seen before enters the bar. Tobin's eyes peel away from the tv easily to look the woman over. She's tall and slender with muscular legs. Her hair is a dark brunette shade, darker than Tobin's sun kissed locks. Her eyes are a deep piercing blue, a stark contrast to the dark features of the rest of the community here. Is that why Tobin can't pull her eyes off of them?

The woman comes to sit at the bar a couple stools away from Tobin and puts her backpack at her feet. She picks at her fingernails nervously as Manny, the owner, approaches her to take her order.

"Um...cervesa por favor? Sorry, my Spanish is terrible." She sounds unsure and her American accent is apparent.

Tobin smiles at this and scoots over a couple seats to sit next to the woman. "It's ok, Manny speaks pretty decent English. He watches lots of American soaps. Don't be surprised if he calls you hoe for no reason. It's meant as a term of endearment...I think."

This makes the woman chuckle and her shoulders slacken. "Good to know. I'm Alex."

Tobin takes her extended hand and shakes it firmly. "Tobin, nice to meet you. It's nice to hear full sentences of English again."

"Likewise. I have a translator that came with me, but I'm lost without him."

"Oh a translator, fancy."

"It's not for me really, it's for my job. I came here for a work thing."

Tobin looks around in disbelief. "You came to this business epicenter for a work thing? I hope you know they still have dial up internet."

Alex laughs again. "No it's not a business trip like that. I work for a nonprofit. We built a school out here a few years ago and I came to check in and kind of make sure everything is still running smoothly, see if they need anything."

"Ah a humanitarian. Cool."

Manny places a beer in front of Alex and she takes her first sip. "What about you? What do you do here?"

"Photographer. There's a protected forest about an hour outside the city so I'm taking some photos. Ultimately, I want to send them into National Geographic, but it's pretty tough to get your work in there."

Alex nods along. "That's awesome. I bet you have loads of amazing photos already. This place is beautiful."

"Yeah, it is. But I'm still trying to find that 'National Geographic-worthy' shot. It'll come, I have a good feeling about it."

"So what do you do in the meantime? While you're waiting for that perfect shot?"

"Mostly sit at this bar and drink beers." Tobin chuckles.

Alex hums to herself "Well if you're looking for something else to do, I wouldn't mind having company while I'm here. You could even take pictures of the school. Happy little kids are a way bigger crowd pleaser than a rainforest."

Tobin smiles at this. "Yeah, that sounds great actually. I wouldn't mind diversifying my portfolio while I'm here."

"Cool. Where are you staying? I can come pick you up tomorrow."

"You're looking at it." Tobin gestures to the bar.

Alex looks at her in disbelief "You sleep here?"

Tobin smiles and shakes her head "No, not like 'here' here. There's an apartment upstairs where I've been living the past couple weeks. It's kinda small and it's hot as hell in there, but I get free beers so I can't complain."

"Sounds like a pretty sweet deal. So how long are you planning on staying?"

"I haven't really figured out yet. Until I get that perfect shot I guess. It's not like I have anything waiting for me back in America, so I have as long as I need."

"You don't have any ties back home or anything? No boyfriend...or girlfriend?"

"Nope, no girlfriend. Definitely no boyfriend." Tobin watches as Alex seems to understand her meaning. Tobin continues. "What about you? Anyone special back home?"

Alex chews her lip as she thinks of the answer. "No not really. My boyfriend and I...we decided to take a break before I came out here. I needed some space, and some time to...explore my options." Alex smirks conspiratorially at Tobin.

The message is not lost on Tobin who quickly shifts from casual friendly conversation to flirtatious banter. "Well, if you want, we could take these beers to go and explore your options in my apartment upstairs."

Alex licks her lips, maintaining eye contact with Tobin as if to challenge her and see if she was being serious or not. But Tobin maintains a steady gaze, the inviting smirk on her lips never faltering. "You're a smooth talker you know that?" Alex finally says

Tobin shrugs "In English maybe, my Spanish could use some work. Think your translator could give me some tips?"

"I don't think I want the translator in your apartment with us. Might be kinda awkward."

"Hm. I see your point. The I guess you're stuck with the English version."

"I think I can live with that."

Tobin downs the rest of her beer and signals for Manny to bring over a couple more as Alex also finishes hers. Manny slides the beers over to Tobin and she grabs the necks of the bottles with one hand while using her free hand to lace Alex's fingers with her to lead them out of the bar.

"This is your last chance to escape. I can't be held accountable for what I do to you when that apartment door closes." Tobin says playfully, her eyes raking over Alex's body.

Alex's eyes are dark and lust-filled as she follows behind Tobin. "I think I can handle it. I guess I don't have much choice at this point do I?" She jokes, wondering aloud

"I can help you explore your options."

***

"We spent three weeks together there. We got so close in such a small amount of time, it was crazy. Like when you go to summer camp for a week and all of a sudden you're best friends with your bunk mates. She'd never been with a girl before so I helped her kind of grapple with figuring out her sexuality. And she's actually the one who convinced me to go back to school and get my degree. She saw the potential I had and convinced me to go for it. I really have her to thank for my photography career. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have gotten the photos of the kids at the school that got me into National Geographic. The photos from that trip are part of the reason I was accepted at NYU too. I owe her so much."

"You were in love with her." Christen coos simply

Tobin shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe. We only knew each other for three weeks. I don't know if it counts."

"So what happened with her?"

"She had to go back home eventually. When she left she said she'd keep in touch, but I tried calling and emailing her and she never responded. About a month after I got back, she finally emailed me to tell me she got back with her boyfriend and that she 'hoped we could still be friends'." Tobin puts in air quotes.

Christen grimaces "Ouch."

"Yeah." Tobin looks despondently into her glass. "So I don't know. After that I kept traveling but I never quite let myself fall for anyone the way I did with her. I mean, until I met you." She looks up to lock eyes with Christen.

"Glad you made an exception for me." Christen teases

"Well you're pretty exceptional." Tobin quips back

Christen rolls her eyes. "And you're still a smooth talker."

"Still can't do it in Spanish." Tobin laughs

"After all that time in South America and you still didn't learn any Spanish?"

"What? I was busy with other things." Tobin jokes

"Other English speaking things" Christen shakes her head

"Alright alright. I've had enough of reliving my past. Can we just talk about the present now, maybe even the future? Like what I want to do with you when we get back to my place?" Tobin wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

Christen swats at her from across the table. Tobin yelps and grimaces dramatically, feigning pain as she grabs her arm. "Save it for the bedroom Rocky."

"I know that's probably some sort of sports reference but..." Christen shrugs

"You've never seen Rocky?! Christen Christen, Christen. Ok, first priority, we are watching that movie!"

"Haven't we had enough sports today?" Christen whines.

"I just told you the story of one of the most defining moments of my life. Don't I get a little reward for that."

"Ok fine, but don't get mad if I get bored in the middle of it and you have to explain it to me."

Tobin slides out of her seat to stand next to Christen, kissing the top of her head. "Wouldn't dream of it."

 


	13. Quick Musical Doodles & Sex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for B2Sweet16. They always comment not just on my fics, but on lots of people's fics. As a writer, I truely appreciate the encouraging feedback; it's what keeps me going. This is a flashback of Tobin's time in Venezuela with Alex and a little background on how she got where she is today. Enjoy!

"Alex, one bite! Just let me have it!" Tobin laughs, pulling on Alex's arm to bring the popsicle she's holding to her mouth.

Alex resists, pulling away from Tobin to keep the fruit bar away from her mouth. "No, you said you didn't want one when we passed the vendor. Snooze you lose."

They lounge together on Tobin's mattress in the tiny second story apartment. The fan above them swirls hot air throughout the room, doing little to cool it. Tobin and Alex lay in their underwear in the heated apartment, partially as a way to cool off, and partially because they can't be bothered to keep their clothes on when they're around each other like this, alone with nothing better to do than play keep away with a melting popsicle.

"Please, one bite." Tobin whines, crawling up Alex's body.

"Hm mm" Alex hums, shaking her head while her lips are wrapped around the cold fruit bar, watching Tobin as she kisses the bare skin of her chest and shoulders.

Tobin sits up, straddling Alex's lap as the other brunette rests her back against the wall. "Fine, I guess I'll have to find something else to lick." Tobin smiles mischievously at Alex, gauging her reaction to her tease.

Alex removes the popsicle from her mouth, licking her lips clean as she tries to hold back a smile. "That was a pretty good line." She teases.

Tobin scoffs "It's not a line if it's true." Tobin toys with the waistband of Alex's underwear, testing to see how far the blue-eyes woman will let her go.

"You really want some of this?" Alex asks with a mischievous smirk, pulling the popsicle from her mouth.

Tobin nods her head, watching as Alex sits up slightly, reaching behind her back to unclasp her bra, tossing it to the floor. She takes the popsicle and brings it to her bare breast, circling the cold treat around her nipple, causing the skin to pucker instantly and harden at the change in temperature. Her nipple glistens with sweet juice and Tobin's eyes follow as drips of if begin to trail down to her stomach.

"Taste it." Alex's voice is low and demanding, her pupils wide with desire.

Tobin wastes no time, leaning down to collect the drops on her tongue, running it up Alex's tight stomach until she gets to the swell of her breast. Tobin lets her flattened tongue glide over Alex's hardened nipple before placing a kiss over the top. She lifts her head to take in the view of Alex with her head thrown back against the wall, eyes closed, lips parted to take in quick shallow breaths.

"That feels amazing." Alex purs

Tobin smiles to herself, lowering back down to taste the sugary syrup against her hot skin again. She swirls her tongue around Alex's peaking nipple, flicking the bud gently before biting ever so slightly against the sensitive skin. A deep moan escapes from Alex's lips and her hips grid into Tobin, searching for more friction as her arousal starts to overtake her.

Tobin takes this as a cue to bring her hand up to Alex's other neglected breast, letting her fingers explore the skin before landing on the peak, mirroring what her mouth is currently doing.

"Fuck Tobin." The popsicle long forgotten, Alex drops it to the floor and fills her hands with Tobin's hair, urging her to keep going.

Tobin can feel Alex writhing beneath her, her hips bucking into her stomach with every flick of her fingertips or swirl of her tongue as they work in unison on Alex's chest.

Alex scratches up Tobin's back in desperation. "More--I need you."

Tobin quickly complies to her demand and hastily removes Alex's underwear to dip her fingers into the pool between the brunette's legs.

"Oh fuck." Alex moans loudly, keening against Tobin's fingers.

Tobin slides her fingers between Alex's slick folds, watching how Alex's body shudders and jerks against the mattress at the ministrations of Tobin's fingertips.

As much as Tobin enjoys hearing Alex's sighs of pleasure against her ear, Tobin moves down her body, wanting to stick with her original taunt and taste the sweet arousal dripping between Alex's legs. She presses kisses to Alex's skin, now misted with a sheen of sweat. She makes it down to Alex's core, hesitating slightly at the entrance to take in the sight of the blue-eyed beauty. Alex's eyes shoot down to meet Tobin's, pleading for her to continue. She parts her lips to speak, but before she can, Tobin takes a long, slow lick up Alex's slit, watching as Alex's eyes roll back into her head, a loud stream of curses leaving her mouth.

Tobin makes quick work of Alex, teasing her entrance with her tongue, darting it in deeply as Alex trusts into her, taking all of Tobin's tongue into her. Tobin wraps her hands around Alex's hips in an attempt to steady them but Alex grinds into Tobin's mouth, setting an ever-quickening pace as she gets closer to climax. Tobin uses her tongue to circle around Alex's throbbing clit, releasing sounds from Alex's mouth that make Tobin instantly wet. But she ignores the pulsing between her own legs in order to give the brunette the relief she's so desperately searching for. She sucks lightly and gently flicks her tongue across Alex's clit, causing every muscle in Alex's body to constrict.

"Shit. Oh my god Tobin, I'm gonna come." Alex pulls roughly on Tobin's hair, urging her to keep going and send her over the edge. Finally, Tobin feels Alex's walls pulse and contract, and her grip on her hair slackens until she lets go completely, immersed in a wave of pleasure as she collapses against the bed in pure ecstasy.

Tobin takes one final lick, coating her tongue with the most intoxicating taste she's ever known. She kisses a trail back up Alex's stomach until she rests her head against her chest, listening to her heart gradually slow to a more manageable pace.

Alex's chest rises and falls in a deep sigh as she regains her composure to speak. "Wow. I can't get over how incredible that feels." She wonders aloud, stroking Tobin's brunette locks absentmindedly.

Tobin rises to her elbows to look the blue-eyed woman in the eyes, chuckling a little to herself. "I'm glad you like it."

Alex smiles, but it quickly falters and her face falls suddenly. "What's wrong?" Tobin asks, concerned she'd said the wrong thing.

Alex shakes her head. "Nothing, I just--I haven't gotten you off yet..."

Tobin smiles, kissing the skin closest to her lips. "Al, it's ok. I don't want you to do anything you aren't comfortable with."

She bows her head. "I know, but--I want to, I'm just kinda nervous."

Tobin smiles sweetly at her, crawling up the bed to reach her lips. She cups Alex's jaw in her hand, guiding their lips together. "That's probably the cutest thing you've ever said to me."

Alex scoffs. "I'm serious. I don't want to just take from you. I want you to feel good too."

Tobin relents "Ok ok. Well, what are you nervous about?"

Alex bites her lip, thinking of her answer, "I just--I don't know what to do."

Tobin grins "Sure you do. You have the same equipment as I do. Just do what feels good to you, but just do it to me."

Alex looks unconvinced. "It's that simple" she deadpan.

Tobin shrugs "It's a start. You'll know what to do, trust me."

Alex looks Tobin over, holding back a smile. "Well what are we waiting for?"

Tobin is right and Alex quickly learns how to please Tobin. They spend the rest of the evening 'practicing' on each other and eventually fall into unconsciousness from sheer exhaustion. Tobin wishes she could take credit for being a good teacher, but she has a feeling Alex is just one of those people who's good at everything she does.

Truth be told, Tobin was also somewhat new to this too, only having had one girlfriend before. They'd slept with each other a handful of times, but it was shortly after high school and they were young and scared and unsure of themselves. This was entirely different. Sure the nervousness was still there, but the excitement greatly overshadowed it. Tobin had never felt so open, so free with someone. The more time they spent together, the more Tobin was convinced they connected on seemingly every level. They would spend all day in bed having long conversations about their lives between bouts of sex, comparing stories and discussing what the future holds.

"So what are you gonna do with your photography? Do you want to start your own business or keep doing the freelance thing and travel the world forever?" Alex asks as she lays with Tobin in bed, glancing her fingers across Tobin's exposed torso.

"I don't know, I guess I don't really have a plan. I was just gonna ride it out and see where it takes me. No sense in planning for a future if you don't know what you want." Tobin says as she lounges with her hands behind her head.

"Have you considered going back to school?"

"I don't know. What would I even study?"

"Photography obviously."

"I already know how to take a photo Al, thanks."

"Yeah but you'd learn the theories behind it and how to photograph different styles with different techniques."

Tobin gives her a challenging look.

"I'm serious! All I'm saying is you're really talented a I think going to school would help you hone in on it and make you even more marketable."

"You sound like my dad."

"He has a very feminine voice then." Alex jokes but continues on her train of thought. "It's just something to think about. You can't run wild and free forever like this. You have to go back to reality sometime."

As she says this, Tobin can't tell if Alex is saying this as a reminder to her or aloud to herself. Tobin chews the inside of her cheek as she watches Alex get up from her spot on the bed.

"Where are you going?" Tobin asks, sounding a little more desperate than she would have liked.

Alex lets out a long sigh as she slips her clothing back on. "Tobin, I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner, but I have to go back tomorrow. My flight leaves really early in the morning and I should get back to my place and pack."

Tobin looks dumbfounded. "You're leaving? Tomorrow? Why didn't you tell me? If I had known I would have..."

"You would have tried everything to convince me to stay and to be honest, I didn't trust myself to say no to you."

Alex comes back over to the bed, sitting on the edge next to Tobin. She places her hand on Tobin's thigh, searching Tobin's face with her eyes. "Trust me, it's better this way. It's like ripping the bandaid off. If you had known, it would have been this long drawn out goodbye and you would have been mopey the whole time."

"I am not mopey." Tobin pouts with her arms crossed in front of her chest, causing Alex to chuckle lightly.

"Sure." She brings her hand up to Tobin's hair, stroking it lightly to gain her gaze. When their eyes lock, Alex continues. "I promise we'll still talk. We'll email until you get back and then we'll figure out what to do from there."

Tobin nods despondently. "Promise you won't forget about me once you get back?"

Alex leans in, placing a gentle lingering kiss to Tobin's lips. "I could ever forget you."

They get up from the bed and fall into each other for one final embrace. Tobin takes in her scent and the feeling of her body, committing it to memory. Tobin walks her down the stairs and out of the bar, watching until Alex catches a ride to take her back to her hotel, waving from a distance as she disappears down the street.

Over the next few days, Tobin waits patiently for an email to pop in her inbox from Alex to signal her return to the States. When it doesn't, she emails Alex, figuring she must have lost her email over the long trip back. But when Alex still doesn't respond after one, two, three desperate emails, Tobin's heart sinks a little lower with each passing day and unanswered message. Eventually, Tobin resigns to the fact that maybe Alex isn't planning on keeping her promise and she had no intention on remembering her or their three weeks together.

Devastated, Tobin packs up her belongings, needing to return home so she doesn't feel so isolated, so alone. She flys back to America and stays with her parents for a couple of weeks while she figures out what to do with herself. As she sits on the couch editing photos from her trip, shoving bites of cereal into her mouth between clicks, she gets an email notification. Her heart races in hopeful anticipation. Could this be the one?

When she clicks over to her email tab and scrolls through her inbox, she sees it. She quickly sets her bowl on the coffee table, leaning into her computer as her eyes scan through the message anxiously.

Tobin,

I'm sorry I didn't email you sooner. I've been going through a lot and dealing with some things I didn't want to face when I was in Venezuela. I want you to know that I had such an amazing three weeks with you and it's something I'll never forget. That being said, I don't think it's a good idea to keep in contact with you. I got back together with my boyfriend and I want to put my whole self into this relationship. I can't do that if you're in the back of my mind. I think it's for the best. You deserve someone who's willing to give themselves fully to you. I can't do that now, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do that. I'm sorry.

Best,

Alex

P.S. I truly hope your photography career takes off and you get that spot in National Geographic. I'll look for your name on the photos, I know it'll be there someday.

As Tobin's eyes scan the computer screen, she's almost unable to read the final few lines through the tears pooling in her eyes.

She'd been duped, lied to, used. She felt like an idiot. She should have known not to fall for the curious girl with an ex boyfriend.

She slams her computer shut, tossing it to the other side of the couch and runs upstairs to her bedroom, closing the door quickly behind her before falling on the bed face first. Her tears stain the pillows beneath that muffle the sound of her ragged breaths and involuntary cries.

She hides away for days, wallowing in the loss and shame she feels for this abandonment. Her parents tiptoe around her, knowing that Tobin had always been one to lick her wounds in private and process her emotions internally before feeling comfortable sharing her struggles with others. They wait patiently until the third day when Tobin breaks down at the dinner table, explaining the whole story to them through gasping breaths and tear-stained eyes. They comfort her and offer her childhood bedroom as a place to stay as long as she needs to recover.

Eventually, time stitches her wounds and Tobin's able to look through the photos of her trip again after a couple weeks. As she clicks through them, the last lines of Alex's email resonate in her mind. Assuredly, Tobin makes it her mission to get her photos in National Geographic as a kind of "fuck you" to Alex; to show her how successful her life has become, how much she isn't affected by the sucker punch Alex threw her; that she too can move on seamlessly without a second thought to the deep and vulnerable connection they'd made. She made it her personal vendetta to get in that magazine.

Several weeks later, Tobin receives an email congratulating her for her work being selected for an upcoming magazine issue and a handsome monetary offer for the rights to her photos.

When she finally gets the magazine in print sixth months after her initial trip to Venezuela, she only feels a dull pang of nostalgia for the blue-eyed woman she'd met there. The experience had been life-changing in many ways, but the bitter taste the trip had initially left in her mouth had subsided and she'd moved on. The money she'd made from the feature in National Geographic helps fund her travels as she continues to do freelance work all over the world, and the notoriety she received makes scheduling steady work effortless.

She thinks of Alex again a year later when she was burnt out and exhausted from her endless travel schedule. Her freelance work had taken her around the world, but she was tiring of the nights in hotel rooms and temporary company of friends and lovers. She submits an application to NYU, banking on her previous experiences to give her the edge she needs to get into the program. It works, and Tobin quickly packs her few belongings to find a more permanent living situation in the city to hang her hat. She continues to work throughout school to fund her education and all the extracurriculars that come with it, and graduates debt-free and ready to find a boring 9-5 job like she had always been so adamantly against.

When she looks back on those three weeks in Venezuela, she can't help but feel a mix of deep appreciation and pride for the growth she gained from that experience, as well as the gentle sadness that comes along with the hole left in your heart after a fist love leaves. She wouldn't trade those three weeks for anything.

 


	14. Date 5: Dinner and a Show

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some fluff for all those hearts that broke after yesterday’s game.

Being on the same page is great. Just knowing that someone cares about you just as much as you care about them is one of the most comforting feelings in the world. Every day they spend together feels like a step forward, and it's getting harder to keep those three little words from slipping out.

Christen's in the office late on Friday evening trying to finish up an article before the weekend so she can be done with it and completely relax and disconnect from work. She'd given Tobin a ride to work that morning since she'd stayed over the night before, and Tobin was somewhere in the office milling around, waiting for Christen to finish up so they can head out, or so Christen thought.

Tobin pops her head into the office. "Hey babe, are you almost done? We're like the last ones here and I want to get you home already."

Christen looks up from her computer to find a suggestive smile plastering Tobin's face. She closes her computer and leans back in her chair, smiling smugly. "Oh yeah? Why do you want to get me home so bad?"

Tobin steps fully into the office now, grinning mischievously. "I'd tell you, but I'd rather show you."

Christen stands up from her chair and walks around to sit on the edge of her desk. "Come here."

Tobin complies and pushes the office door closed behind her before sidling up to Christen with her arms wrapped around her hips, her breath falling against her pink-stained lips. They stand like this in a silent duel to see who will break first. Christen can feel her heartbeat pick up and she wets her lips subconsciously.

Finally, Tobin's the one who can't contain herself any longer and she pulls Christen into her, attaching their lips roughly in a needy kiss. Christen feels Tobin's tongue trace along her lips and finally glide against her own tongue, sending electricity through her body. Tobin's hands grab firmly at Christen's ass and thighs, lifting her skirt up higher on her legs until it does little to cover her. She's lifted onto the desk as Tobin wedges herself between Christen's legs, stroking them with her hands, going higher and higher until her thumbs just barely graze the lace underwear covering her center.

Christen lets out a gasp, wrapping her arms tightly around the brunette's shoulders to pull her in closer. Tobin's hand slides between her legs, dancing across the wet fabric teasingly. Christen groans and pushes herself up on the desk "Take them off" she demands. Tobin slides them off quickly, letting the soaked fabric fall to the floor.

Christen can taste the desire on Tobin's lips and she lets out the smallest of whimpers. As she's about to suggest some action, there's a loud knock on the office door.

"I thought you said we were the last ones here!" Christen whispers harshly.

"I thought we were!" Tobin whispers back defensively

Christen quickly hops off her desk and pulls her skirt back down over her legs, smoothing it out as she walks up to the door. She turns back toward Tobin to make sure she’s prepared for the open door before turning the handle and cracking it open.

"Oh, hey Christen, didn't mean to scare you. You have a minute?" Jill asks

"Uh, sure what's up?" Christen tries to calm the nervousness in her voice.

To her horror, Jill pushes past Christen into her office, leaving Christen stammering.

"Oh, Tobin. I didn't know you were here." Jill says after seeing the brunette standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.

Tobin swallows hard, offering a small wave and a nervous tight lipped smile.

"I'm actually glad I have both of you here, I wanted to run something by you two." She looks between the two women expectantly, watching as they both nod for her to continue. "I want to wrap up the date series with a bang, so to speak." She chuckles to herself slightly and continues. "I was thinking a classy night out in the city. Nice dinner, symphony tickets, drinks at a fancy hotel bar. Give the readers something a little more upscale, to see how the other half lives."

Christen looks at Jill, then to Tobin, then back to Jill. "Oh, uh yeah. That sounds awesome."

Jill claps her hands together. "Perfect! I'll make a few calls and let you know the details when they're all set." Before Jill leaves the office she turns back toward the women. "Oh, and if you two could refrain from 'extracurriculars' in the workspace, I would much appreciate it. This office is a privilege, not a playground."

Christen's mouth hangs open as her brain tries to come up with an adequate response, but Jill beats her to it. "Next time maybe move your unmentionables out of sight before letting someone in. They might get the wrong impression." Jill says with a wink.

Christen looks to the floor at the edge of her desk and notices the lacy fabric balled up halfway under the desk.

"Sorry." Is all she can muster, her cheeks burning red.

"Just don't let it happen again." Jill steps out of the office pulling the door shut behind her. "Have a good night you two." She says through the door.

Christen turns to Tobin who looks equally shocked by the last few minutes. When their eyes meet, both women burst into a fit of laughter, relieving the tension in the air.

"Oh my god! How long do you think Jill has had us figured out?" Tobin wipes tears of laughter from her eyes.

Christen clutches her stomach as she gasps for air between giggles. "No clue. I thought she was completely oblivious--she is about most other things."

Their laughter dies down and there's a brief lull between them as they stand smiling at each other. "Guess we'll have to pick up where we left off at my place." Tobin suggests.

Christen grins mischievously, striding toward Tobin until she stands before the brunette, twirling her hair between her fingers. "You know, she said no extracurriculars in the office, but she didn't say no extracurriculars in the parking lot."

Tobin smirks, leaning in to speak lowly against Christen's ear. "Glad we took your car today. It doesn't matter if you leave your underwear lying around in your own car."

Christen rolls her eyes "I'm never wearing those again."

***

Plans for the final date are set for a week later, and Christen's more than a little excited to be able to share this five star date with Tobin. The first stop is a highly rated restaurant right in the middle of the city that would be completely out of Christen's price range if it wasn't for the company footing the bill. Next is the symphony, which Tobin scoffs at initially, but is convinced to go with it after Christen tells her how sexy classical music is. The final event is drinks at an iconic rooftop bar, which would also be too high brow for Christen's liking generally, but she reasons it's good to try new things and step out of her comfort zone.

She stands in her bathroom, still perfecting her loose curls when she hears a knock on her door. She sets her curling iron down on the stone bathroom counter, balancing it precariously, before shuffling to answer the door.

Once she opens it, her jaw goes slack as she takes in the sight of Tobin. She's dressed in a slim-fitting grey suit with a white collared shirt beneath the jacket and leather oxfords on her feet. Her hair is pulled back in a classic bun revealing some simple studs glistening in her ears. Her makeup is done perfectly and accentuate her long lashes, flawless skin, and full pillowy lips. Christen's not sure if they're going to make it out tonight with Tobin looking like this.

Tobin holds out a bouquet of flowers. "I brought you these. Figured I'd follow along with the whole 'traditional date' theme and get you some flowers to be really cliche."

Christen takes them wordlessly, still taken aback by how gorgeous Tobin looks.

Tobin leans in and whispers playfully "So this is the part where you let me in and offer me a drink while you finish getting ready."

Christen blinks rapidly, shaking off the daze of Tobin's beauty. "Sorry, come inside. Are you cool to just hang out for a bit? I won't take too much longer."

Tobin wanders inside, placing a kiss to Christen's cheek as she passes. "Yeah no problem."

"Ok, uh. There's beer in the fridge if you want something to drink while you wait."

Tobin sets her camera bag down on the kitchen table and chuckles lightly. "You ok Chris? You seem kinda jumpy."

Christen smiles at herself, her cheeks warming as she stands in the hallway to her room. "No I'm fine, it's just....you look really fucking sexy in that suit and it's making me feel like it's a good thing this date is for work, or we may not have made it out the door."

Tobin lets out a sweet laugh. "Oh there'll be plenty of time for that after we rack up a bill for the company. Now hurry up, we have a reservation to make."

Christen nods and turns to retreat back into her room. She finishes off her makeup and slips on the form-fitting long sleeve dress she'd picked out earlier that reveals a classy amount of collarbone and chest and accentuates her best....asset. She pokes in some simple dangling earrings and slides on her heels, giving herself a final once over before stepping out into the living room to retrieve Tobin.

As she steps out, Tobin turns her head to catch her first glimpse of the green-eyed beauty, and Christen instantly recognizes the look of overwhelming desire she herself had felt minutes ago when she opened the front door for Tobin.

Tobin stands up from her seat, grinning ear to ear, like she's just been told the best secret in the world. "Chris, wow. Just--wow. You look amazing."

Christen smiles and spins around in her spot for effect, giving Tobin the 360 degree view. "Yeah we should probably get out of here while I still have a shred of self control." Tobin says chuckling at herself.

They order an Uber to get them downtown and try to keep things PG in the backseat, but their hands wander and tease, and Christen can't help but giggle at Tobin's tickling fingertips that are sliding farther up her leg. "Tobin, watch your hands. We're gonna get kicked out of the car."

"I can't help it. Sitting this close to you with nothing else to distract me is making it hard to keep my hands to myself."

Christen smiles "I know the feeling."

They keep it together enough to make it the rest of the ride without getting too many judgmental looks from the driver. Once out of the car, the two stride up to the restaurant hand in hand, only detaching when Tobin opens the door for Christen to lead them inside.

Christen walks past a couple other waiting patrons to the host stand to get his attention. "Hi, we have a reservation for two under Press."

The host scans a list of names and puts a check next to her name, confirming the reservation. "Right this way."

They're lead through the restaurant to a secluded booth near the back. They slide in and barely have time to get comfortable before a waiter comes over to take their drink order.

"I was thinking wine. What do you think Chris?" Tobin asks, scanning the wine list

"Sure. Um, what's a dry red you have?" Christen asks the waiter.

The waiter leans over and points to a wine on Christen's menu. "This Chianti is nice and full bodied with a clean almost tart finish. It pairs well with our heavier dishes like the lamb and pork."

Christen looks over at Tobin. "How does that sound?"

"Sounds like we'll both need a glass of that." She says as she hands over the wine menu to the waiter.

He takes Christen's list as well, giving them both a smile. "Of course. I'll be right back with those."

Christen smiles at Tobin from across the table. Tobin furrows her brow "What?" She says with a laugh.

"That wine was like forty dollars a glass!" Christen giggles.

"Well it better be the best fucking wine I've ever had then."

Christen chuckles and nods in agreement.

The waiter returns with two glasses and presents the bottle to them before uncorking it and pouring a small taste into Tobin's glass. Tobin shoots Christen a confused look.

Christen whispers across the table. "You're supposed to try it to make sure it's ok, like it's not spoiled or anything."

Tobin nods in understanding and takes a sip from the glass. "Tastes good to me."

The waiter takes the signal and pours a healthy serving in both glasses and explains the specials for the evening, leaving the couple to enjoy their wine while they look over the menu for a few more minutes.

Tobin raises her glass to Christen. "Cheers! To the final article."

"Thank god it's over." Christen laughs, taking a sip from her glass.

"What, is it that big of a chore to go on dates with me?" Tobin teases.

Christen rolls her eyes playfully. "Of course not, I'm just ready to not have to write about our dates anymore. When I write, I have to leave out the parts with you in them, obviously. But it's hard leaving you out of my experiences because you're the best part of the date."

"Aw, you're such a sap!" Tobin gushes.

"Oh whatever, aren't you tired of taking pictures of everywhere we go?"

"No. I could take pictures of you all day. It gives me an excuse to stare at how beautiful you are."

"Who's the sap now?"

Tobin's hands shoot up defensively. "Hey you started it."

They both take a sip of wine, smiling into their glasses as they maintain eye contact.

Christen sets down her glass "I have a confession."

"What's that?" Tobin questions.

Christen grimaces. "I mean, I know this is supposed to be a really nice wine, but I honestly can't tell the difference between this and what I drink at home. Is that horrible? I feel so unrefined."

Tobin laughs hard at this, clutching her stomach. "No, no. I was thinking the same thing. We both just have simple taste I guess."

"I'm a cheap date, what can I say?" Christen offers.

"Yeah, no more forty dollar glasses of wine. At least not until we refine our pallets a little bit." Tobin offers

Christen nods "I can live with that."

The waiter returns to take their order and leaves them to enjoy each other while their food is prepared. When their orders come out, Christen's starting to feel the effects of the mostly empty glass of wine, and is glad to have something to fill her stomach to help soak it up. They both gush over how delicious the food is, giving bites to the other so they get a taste of both meals. By the time their plates are cleared, they sit together, smiling at how uncomfortably full they had made themselves.

"Oh my gosh, you're going to need a wheelbarrow to get me out of here." Christen sighs with a smile.

"I know, I have the biggest food baby." Tobin pats her stomach for effect.

Christen looks at her watch. "We should have plenty of time to get to the concert from here. We could even walk if you want to try and digest a little on the way over."

"Yeah, that's probably a good call. I don't want my stomach gurgling all through the performance. That would be embarrassing."

"Not as embarrassing as having your own personal paparazzi taking pictures of you all night. I hate having people staring at me wondering what we're doing."

"They probably think you’re a model or some famous celebrity. Oh, or they recognize you from the articles and they just want to say that they saw THE Christen Press in person."

Christen rolls her eyes "Oh shut up."

"Oh my gosh! She's even hotter in person!" Tobin mocks in a whiny high-pitched voice.

"Alright fan girl, lets get out of here before we cause a scene."

Christen pays for their absurdly expensive meal and the two exit the restaurant to stroll through the streets toward the theater. The sun has just set and the streetlights are flickering on to light the sidewalk, but Christen's stomach drops as they begin their walk. Her hands start to sweat and she feels an overwhelming sense of panic overtake her body, making her stop in the middle of the sidewalk to catch her breath.

"Chris? What's the matter?" Tobin slows up to come to her side.

Christen takes in a few shaky breaths to try and collect her thoughts. "I--I don't know. Um, I think I'm just still kinda freaked out from that guy mugging me. I thought I would be ok, but the dark street is making me feel kinda weird and nervous."

Tobin grabs her hand, kissing the top of it. "I'm sorry, I didn't even think how this might be uncomfortable for you. Do you want me to get us an Uber for the rest of the walk?"

Christen smiles weakly, thankful for Tobin's consideration. "No, I think I'll be ok. Could you just--could you hold my hand?"

Tobin smiles sweetly at her, melting at Christen's timidness. "Yeah, of course I will."

Tobin grabs Christen's hand, lacing their fingers together as Tobin leads them carefully through the street. "Is this ok? Do you still feel nervous?"

Christen nods "A little bit, but I'm glad you're here."

"Me too." Tobin gives her had a reassuring squeeze as they continue their short trek.

Once they make it the few blocks to the theater, Christen's glad to be back inside a well lit building. She looks around at the milling socialites, all looking as if they feel totally at ease, like they belong at a symphony, like it's just another Saturday night. She clings onto Tobin a little tighter, using her as a security blanket of sorts.

"All these people look so fancy and glamorous." Christen whispers in Tobin's ear as they maneuver through the crowd.

"You look ten times better." Tobin whispers back. She briefly detaches their hands to place hers protectively against Christen's lower back.

They make it to the actual entrance to the concert hall and Christen fishes out their tickets from her clutch to hand to the usher. He directs them to their seats and the couple shuffle down the row to their final resting spot. They sit side by side, listening to the orchestra tuning and the dull roar of conversation that fills the expansive space. Several minutes later, the lights flicker to indicate for everyone to take their seats, and the rows quickly fill up with other patrons.

Christen grabs onto Tobin's knee, giving it a squeeze to get her attention. "Are you excited?"

Tobin smiles with a shrug. "I'm excited I get to be here with you."

As the lights dim, Christen leans over to place a delicate kiss to Tobin's lips. She lingers there long enough to feel Tobin's chest collapse in a long exhale, like she'd been waiting to feel that all night. As they break apart, the orchestra begins, but their eyes remain fixed on each other for several more moments.

Eventually, Christen leans back to take in the music, letting Tobin's hand linger in hers on top of her lap. She feels Tobin's thumb rub over her hand aimlessly as they listen. This doesn't last long though. About ten minutes in, she can see Tobin fidgeting and looking around the space from the corner of her eye. Christen smiles to herself at this, and tries to focus on the music, but Tobin's hand starts inching its way up Christen's thigh. Christen gives Tobin a silent scolding glare, and Tobin's hand retreats momentarily. But it doesn't take long before her fingers start tracing up the seam of Christen's dress. Christen bites her lip, knowing she shouldn't let this continue, but she bargains internally, "just a few more seconds and then I'll tell her to stop."

But a few seconds go by, and then a few more seconds, and eventually, Tobin's fingers slip beneath the hem of Christen's dress, caressing her inner thigh. Her green eyes immediately widen, shooting toward Tobin who looks calm as can be.

Christen clears her throat and gingerly wraps her hand around Tobin's wrist, pulling it from beneath her dress. "This isn't fair. I can't pay attention with your hand up my dress."

Tobin leans over to whisper back. "Well I can't concentrate either so now we're both in the same boat."

Christen shakes her head lightly. "Do you think you can keep your hands to yourself until intermission?"

The couple's murmurings start getting the attention of others around them. Christen can feel the sideways glances and disapproving looks coming from all angles.

Tobin offers one last quip. "I'll try, but I'm not making any promises."

Tobin's hands remain a respectable distance from Christen's more sensitive areas until the lights raise for intermission. Tobin pops up immediately from her seat, grabbing Christen by the hand to make a speedy exit, weaving through the men in tuxedos and women in fancy gowns. They're one of the first couples to get to the lobby of the theater, but Tobin doesn't stop there. She heads straight for the exit onto the street, the cool night air hitting them like an ocean wave.

She spins back around toward Christen. "Sorry, I just needed to get some fresh air. I have a really hard time sitting still for that long."

Christen chuckles at this admission. "It's ok. I needed to get out of the crowd too."

They stand facing each mother, holding hands, swinging them back and forth like children on the playground. "So, how are you liking he concert?" Christen asks

"Yeah. They're really good." Tobin shrugs unconvincingly

"Yeah, I like the cello. It's my favorite instrument."

"Is that the one that they stand up to play?"

"No, that's the bass. Cello's like halfway between a violin and an bass." Christen clarifies.

"Oh ok, cool." Tobin shuffles on her feet, kicking invisible rocks on the sidewalk while Christen looks around at the area. She looks over her shoulder toward the concert hall and watches as the people inside start moving back to their seats.

Christen bites her lip, turning back toward Tobin. "So on a scale of one to ten how much do you want to get out of here and grab a beer instead?"

"Like a million" Tobin answers without hesitation.

Christen smiles, relieved. "Ok, I think we've had enough culture for tonight."

Tobin nods in agreement. "Yeah totally. Culture's great and all, but I can only handle so much in one night."

"To the bar?" Christen suggests

They walk hand in hand down the moonlit sidewalk, but this time, Christen doesn't feel on edge. She walks comfortably with Tobin, both smiling at this tiny act of rebellion.

When they get to the rooftop bar, it's crowded, but not in an uncomfortable way. It's just full enough that you can disappear and be anonymous. Christen orders them a couple beers and takes them over to the ledge of the building that overlooks the city where Tobin is standing.

"It's beautiful up here. All the lights and stuff. I feel so small in comparison." Tobin wonders aloud, taking her first sip from the pint Christen had handed her.

"Yeah but I mean, being small doesn't mean you aren't important." Christen reasons

"No, I know that. I was actually saying that I find comfort in how insignificant I am in the grand scheme of things sometimes. It makes all the things I worry about seems so trivial knowing that I'm just one tiny piece of this world."

"I guess that makes sense." Christen concedes. "So what kinds of things do you worry about?"

Tobin pauses, trying to collect her thoughts. "I don't know. I worry about pleasing my family. I worry I'm not doing enough with my life, or like I'm not taking advantage of every day I'm alive... I think about us a lot too." Tobin's gaze turns toward Christen.

"You worry about us?" Christen asks, concerned.

"It's not worrying really. It's more like--trying to calm myself down every time I think about you and how much I care about you." Tobin's eyes fall to the ground. "I've never felt like this about anyone before, and I’ve never really been in this kind of situation, and it's kinda freaking me out to be honest."

Christen reaches out, grabbing Tobin's hand from her side and brings it to her lips, kissing the back of her hand gently. "I know what you mean. You're right, it is kinda scary. But you know what? You shouldn't be afraid of it cus I'm right there with you. We can be scared together."

Tobin's eyes lift from their spot on the ground and find Christen's. She smiles and gives Christen's hands a light squeeze before releasing them.

The brunette spins around to her backpack, rummaging through one of the side pockets as Christen watches her in confusion. When Tobin turns back around, she's holding a small box in her hand. "Don't worry, I'm not proposing or anything. I got you something." Tobin offers the box sheepishly to Christen.

Christen takes the box from Tobin, opening it gingerly, completely caught off guard by Tobin's surprise gift. When she looks inside her heart skips a beat and she nearly drops the box. "Tobin."

"It's not your exact ring that got stolen, the cops said that's probably long gone by now, but I think it's the same kind of ring. They don't make ones like yours anymore, but I tried to get as close to the original as possible."

Christen can feel her eyes prickling with tears, overwhelmed with emotion that she can't quite identify. "Tobin. Oh my god. How did you remember what it looked like?"

"Taking a million pictures of you over the last few months really came in handy when I needed to describe the ring to the jeweler." Tobin jokes

Christen throws her arms around Tobin in a tight embrace. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me. I love it."

Tobin mutters something into Christen's shoulder that she can't quite decipher. Christen pulls apart from Tobin. "What? I didn't hear you."

Tobin clears her throat, suddenly looking nervous "I said, I love you." She says it as a statement, but her eyes look questioningly at Christen, like she'd just given an answer she's not sure Christen wanted to hear.

Christen's heart races as her lips struggle to form words. "Tobin, I..."

A shot of panic dances across Tobin's face. "You don't have to say it back, I just had to tell you. I couldn't keep it in anymore. And you look so beautiful tonight and I'm having such a good night with you and--ah, sorry..."

Christen looks at her with concern. "How do you know?"

"That I'm in love with you?" Tobin clarifies.

Christen nods

A small smile curls into her lips. "You know how I was saying I'm comforted by feeling small and insignificant sometimes? Well I don't feel so small and insignificant when I'm with you. I used to think my place in the world didn't really matter, and I was content just kind of drifting along, but now I know my place is with you. You make me feel significant. You make me feel like we...this...matters."

Christen's smile spreads wide across her cheeks and the tears that were threatening to fall make a trail past the corner of her eye. She steps into the brunette, placing her hands on either side of her cheeks, pulling her into a deep, passionate kiss. "I love you too." She whispers against Tobin's lips.

They stand like this for what feels like an eternity, their limbs tangled together and lips pressed firmly against one another. Onlookers giggle or comment about their public display nearby, but neither Tobin nor Christen are aware that anyone else exists in this moment. They melt into one another, completely engulfed by the understanding that they are both feeling the same warmth, the same love.

When they finally break apart, Christen's eyes are still watery from her previous tears but an uncontrollable smile spreads across her face as she tries to gracefully wipe away the black tears threatening to stain her cheeks.

"Sorry, I promise these are happy tears." She says laughing at herself and her inability to feel any strong emotion without at least tearing up.

"Don't apologize." Tobin smiles at her, running her hands up and down the length of Christen's arms for comfort.

Finally, Christen takes her eyes off of Tobin to look around the bar and catches a few onlookers watching their interaction. Christen suddenly feels somewhat self-conscious about sharing this private moment with a room full of strangers and takes a step back from Tobin to take a better look at the ring she'd received. She takes it from the box and slips it onto her finger. After going weeks feeling as if her hand was naked, the cool metal gives her comfort and makes her feel complete again.

"Does it fit?" Tobin asks as she watches Christen's hands.

"It's perfect. Thank you Tobin." Christen leans to place a sweet kiss to Tobin's lips.

They stand in awe of each other, both grinning like idiots. The butterflies in Christen's stomach had yet to settle and her tongue was tied up in her mouth. She had so much to she wanted to say to Tobin, to tell her how much she meant to her, how the last few month have been the best in her life, how beautiful she thought Tobin was inside and out, how she'd do anything for the other woman. But all these thoughts were flooding in too quickly and her brain couldn't keep up, so she stood smiling adoringly at Tobin just soaking up this rush of emotion that was making her feel dizzy and overwhelmed in the best possible way.

Finally, Tobin clears her throat and breaks the spell between them. "Do you wanna get out of here?"

Christen smiles, nodding her head silently and takes Tobin's hand as she leads them out of the bar, abandoning their completely full beers on the table, too intoxicate with each other to bother with them.

When they get back to Tobin's apartment Christen feels dissociated from her body, like she's watching this scene play out in a movie. It's too good, it's too perfect to be happening to her. She can't wipe the smile off her face. She can feel the emotions bubbling up inside her and the words fall from her mouth before she can think to hold them back.

"I love you." Christen says from the doorway as Tobin fills a glass of water at the kitchen sink.

She looks over to Christen, smiling and chuckling a little at Christen's oddly-timed admission. She abandons her post at the sink and comes over to wrap Christen in a tight embrace. "I love you too. Does it feel weird to say that?"

Christen nuzzles into Tobin's shoulder comfortably, "It's weird that it doesn't feel weird at all."

Tobin pulls away to kiss Christen slowly on the lips. "I know what you mean."

 


	15. Weatherman

"I still don't understand why I can't come with you on this thing." Tobin complains as she and Christen push the cart through the grocery store.

"I told you, Joey's the one who brought the story to Jill AND he's the sports photographer, so it's his gig and he gets to call the shots. Sorry babe." Christen pulls the cart over to pick out some lemons as Tobin stands across from her on the other side of the display.

Tobin crosses her arms over her chest looking annoyed. "I just don't like the idea of you being left alone with Joey of all people."

Christen ties up a bag and places it in her cart. "He's fine. I know he can be a prick sometimes, but he's harmless."

"You don't sit next to him in the office. You don't hear the shit he says about the women he's with." Tobin follows as Christen continues walking through the produce section.

"Which is why I'm not with him, nor is that even in the realm of possibilities." She stops the cart, turning around to meet Tobin's gaze. She runs her hands down the lanky brunette's arms to comfort her. "It'll only be a couple days. We just have to go to the game, get a feel for the atmosphere, and interview a couple people about what they think about the protests, and I'll be back before you know it. It's really just one night apart from each other."

"That's too many." Tobin whines.

Christen smiles giving her a sweet peck on the cheek. "I know, but I really feel like this is an important story to cover. It could help me transition into more serious news stories."

"I know. And I'm really proud of you for getting chosen for this, I know how much it means to you. I'm just selfish and want you here all for myself."

"It'll be fine. I'll take lots of pictures for you so you'll basically feel like you're there with me." Christen offers.

"And I'll take pictures too. You can see all the exciting things you'll be missing in the office. The water guy comes on Fridays to change out the jugs on the coolers. Pretty exciting stuff..."

***

Christen doesn't know how Joey convinced Jill to let them go to Atlanta to cover the story. There were protests happening at basically every major football stadium.They could have easily gone to one closer, but Christen suspects that the fact that Atlanta is Joey's favorite team might have something to do with their destination.

She packs up a carryon Thursday night with Tobin sitting on the bed, trying everything in her power to convince Christen to stay. Ultimately the brunette relents, settling for one final night of cuddling before she leaves for the weekend.

Tobin drives Christen to the airport early Friday morning, chasing the sun to the horizon. As they pull up to the curbside checkin, Tobin also does one final checkin of her own. “You know if anything happens while you’re there, if Joey’s being a dick, or you don’t feel comfortable, I’ll take the first flight out there.”

“To comfort me or to kick his ass?”

“Little of both.”

Christen leans over the center console of the car to pull Tobin into a lingering kiss. “Don’t worry so much. It’s two days. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“I know. I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.” Christen gives her one final kiss on the lips before unbuckling and hopping out of the car to retrieve her bag from the backseat. She gives Tobin one final wave from the curb, watching as Tobin drives off into the sea of airport traffic.

“Hey Press, your Uber driver looked a lot like Tobin.” Christen spins around to find Joey smiling smugly at her.

This is going to be a long two days

Christen gets through security and makes it to her gate with Joey in tow, who’s peppering her with questions relentlessly.

“What are you wearing to the game?”

“Did you pack a swimming suit for the pool?”

“Please tell me you brought something slutty to wear so we can go out and pick up chicks!”

Finally, after one too many questions about her outfit selections for the weekend, Christen sends Joey off to get coffee for them so she can have a minute of peace. She takes out her phone to text Tobin.

C [You were right, Joey IS that bad. Now I remember why I was never friends with the photographers.]

T [You haven’t even left the city and he’s already getting on your nerves? That must be a personal record for him.]

She giggles at her phone when she sees Joey approaching from the corner of her eye.

“What’s so funny?” He asks innocently.

Christen puts her phone away, hiding the screen from him. “Nothing, I just saw something funny.”

“Was it that video of the dog that jumps down stairs one by one cus it’s legs are too short? I saw that one yesterday. Killed me!”

He extends the paper cup of coffee toward Christen. “Oh, here. Hope you like your coffee like you like your women, tall, dark, and full bodied.”

This earns an eye roll and small smile from Christen as she takes the cup from Joey. “There’s a smile. I finally cracked ya.”

They hear a boarding announcement over the PA and quickly shuffle to the gate to board their plane. Luckily, they have separate seats and Christen takes this opportunity to squeeze in a nap, hoping to pass some time in the process.

She sleeps longer than she’d bargained for and when she wakes up, the pilot’s making the announcement that they’ll be landing shortly. She runs her hands through her hair and tries to stretch in the small space she has to wake herself up fully, feeling stiff from her awkward sleeping position.

Once they’ve landed and made it off the plane, Christen and Joey catch a ride to their hotel. Much to Christen’s surprise, Joey stays relatively silent on the ride, too engrossed with answering emails to chat.

When they get to the hotel, Christen beats Joey to the front desk to check in. “Hi, I should have a reservation under Press.”

The receptionist quickly finds her reservation and explains the general layout of the hotel and where to find the elevator to her room.

Christen thanks the woman and steps aside for Joey to check in.

“What you didn’t want to share a room with me?” He teases.

“In your dreams Joey.” Christen retorts

After checking in, Christen and Joey separate to their own rooms to unpack and recharge a little before getting dinner. Christen sends Tobin a snap of her room, updating her own her whereabouts but doesn’t hear back.

After unpacking and taking a quick shower to rinse off the recycled air from her skin, Joey texts her asking if she wants to get dinner at a nearby restaurant. Christen wishes she could just stay in her room and mentally prepare for the busy day tomorrow, but the growling coming from her stomach forces her out of her room to go find something to fill it.

They end up at a brewpub down the street. It’s tacky and all the waitresses look like they’re modeling slutty Halloween costumes, but the beer is actually pretty decent and the menu doesn’t look too bad either.

Christen’s scanning the dinner menu when Joey pipes up and breaks her concentration.

“So what’s the deal with you and Tobin? You guys banging on the regular yet or is she just driving you to the airport in exchange for sexual favors.”

Christen gives him a disapproving look. “You don’t have to make everything about sex Joey. Sometimes people get along on other levels than just that.”

He recoils “I’m sorry, really, I am. You know I’m just kidding right?”

Christen gives him an unconvinced look, but decides to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Joey continues “For real though, what’s the deal with you two? Are you guys officially a thing?”

Christen can’t help the smile that breaks across her lips, instantly giving her away. “Yeah, we’ve been official for a little while now.”

Joey nods along. “Cool. Gotta say, you guys look good together. So how’s it going so far?”

Christen contemplates this question, trying to come up with an adequate answer to summarize her time with the woman thus-far. “Things have been really good. I think both of us kind of came from bad breakups and were hesitant to put ourselves out there at first, but now things are going really well. It’s kinda crazy how easy it is to be with her.”

“Have you guys dropped the ‘l word’ yet? ‘L’ for love, not lesbian.”

Christen chuckles at his clarification. “Actually, we just said it to each other a few days ago for the first time.” She smiles widely at the memory.

“Man you lesbians and your need to settle down and get all mushy. Do all women want that and that’s just what happens when two of them get together?”

Christen shrugs “I don’t know, maybe? I can’t speak for all women, but I like having that stability. Just knowing someone is there for me and feels the same way about me as I feel about them. I don’t like playing games.”

“Yeah but that whole cat and mouse thing is part of the fun. That anticipation of it? The teasing? The uncertainty? Come on, you can’t tell me that part isn’t a little bit exciting.”

“I mean, I guess it’s fun for a little while, but it gets old. I like the fact that I know where Tobin’s head is at. I know she’s not messing around with other girls and she’s not just using me while she waits around for someone better to come along. It’s nice to not feel that stress.”

Joey shrugs “Fair point. I usually don’t get past the game part of things with women. Once it stops being fun, I’m out. No sense in putting myself through the stress when there are plenty of other ladies out there lining up.” He boasts playfully.

Christen rolls her eyes, shaking her head at his immaturity. “Do what you want. All I’m saying is a little transparency goes a long way if you want a girl to stick around one of these days.”

Joey nods with a playful grin. “Noted. Now the real question is, should we get pints or just split a pitcher?”

***

They go to the game the next morning and Joey’s surprisingly genial as they interact with fans during tailgating. He makes sure that Christen feels included in all the sports talk and helps facilitate her interviews with some of the fans. He’s protective without being overbearing. She thinks back on her conversation with Joey the night before, wondering if women ever stick around long enough to see this side of him.

They make it through the game and Christen actually gets into it and enjoys it with the help of Joey who explains the rules and why the game keeps starting and stopping so much. She sends some pictures and videos of the game to Tobin to try and fulfill her promise of keeping her in the loop of what she’s doing. When the game finally ends, Christen’s excitement and adrenaline carries them out of the stadium and into a taxi to take them to the hotel.

With a hoarse voice and belly full of nachos and beer, they make it back to the hotel to checkout and grab their luggage for a late flight home. The rush from the game quickly wears off and Christen feels nothing short of exhausted by the time they land late in the evening. Although Tobin had offered earlier that week to pick her up from the airport despite her late arrival time, Christen decides to get an Uber instead so Tobin can relax and not worry about it.

Christen sets the drop off point to Tobin’s apartment, hoping she might be able to surprise the woman and catch her tired and sleepy-eyed. She’d come to love the way Tobin looks first thing after waking up.

When she gets to her apartment, she quietly carries her luggage to Tobin’s door, rapping on it just loud enough wake Tobin up without scaring her. Christen can hear rustling inside the apartment and grins widely as she waits for the door to swing open. When it finally does, she’s surprised to find that Tobin isn’t sporting her signature sleepy look, and seems to be very much awake.

“Hey babe! I thought I was coming to pick you up!” She murmurs into Christen’s shoulder as she engulfs her in a hug.

“I thought you’d be sleeping so I just got a ride from the airport instead so I wouldn’t wake you, but it seems like you’re already up.”

Tobin pushes the door open further to let Christen in and grab her bag from the hallway. “Yeah I’ve just been on my computer working on some stuff.” She says vaguely.

Christen walks in, kicking her shoes off in the doorway. “Oh speaking of which, I need to send some travel receipts to Jill. Can I use your computer real quick?”

“You just got back, can’t you just do that in the morning?” Tobin whines.

“I’ll forget if I wait. It’ll only take a few minutes.” Christen pleads her case

Tobin sighs “Yeah, my computers in my room.”

Christen kisses Tobin lightly on the cheek before heading into the bedroom. She hears Tobin hollar through the apartment. “Are you hungry? You want me to make you a grilled cheese or something?”

Christen yells back from her spot on the bed. “That sounds amazing! This is why I love you so much!”

Christen opens up the laptop and pulls up her email account but looks around confused by the contents of her inbox. It’s not her typical slew of promotional emails from Gap and Expedia. As she scans around trying to figure out this change, she clicks on the most recent unread message which pulls up a long thread of messages. As she skims over the slew of messages, she slowly realizes this isn’t her email and the computer must have automatically signed into Tobin’s account instead. Before she clicks out of the tab, she recognizes the name of the sender of the thread of emails.

Alex

“Here you go, one grilled cheese for my super cheesy girlfriend.”

Christen looks up at Tobin standing in the doorway with a plate in hand. She watches as Tobin’s cheerful smile quickly fades into a look of concern.

“Chris? You ok? You look like you just saw a ghost or something.”

“How long have you been talking to Alex?”

 


	16. I need a woman

“It’s not what you think.”

“Please, tell me what I think.” Christen retorts in a venomous tone.

Tobin sets the plate down on the nearby desk and takes a step into the room to explain herself calmly. “I know this is really convenient timing for her to be emailing me, but I swear it was just out of the blue. I didn’t even know she still had my email address.”

“Why would she be emailing you all of a sudden after, what, like 7 years? What does she want...” Christen questions, still hesitant.

“She wanted to know if I’m still doing photography cus the organization she works for is hiring a photographer for a project.”

Christen’s brows furrow “What? This seems sketchy. She can’t just call in a favor after all this time.” Christen tries her hardest to keep calm, but she wrings her hands together anxiously, still trying to piece together the information.

Tobin rubs the back of her neck, speaking quietly. “Actually, she’d be the one doing me a favor. This contract is huge.”

“How huge?” Christen asks skeptically.

“Like almost a year’s salary huge.” Tobin divulges

“I thought she worked for a nonprofit. Aren’t they supposed to be poor, from like, the lack of profit?” Christen says sarcastically.

Tobin shrugs “It’s a pretty big company. They have a pretty decent amount of capital to spend on promotions and things like that.”

“And that’s all she was asking?” Christen remains skeptical that there weren’t some ulterior motives in these emails on Alex’s part.

Tobin shakes her head. “I mean there was the casual ‘hi how are you’ thrown in there, but it’s been pretty much all business. You can read the emails if you don’t believe me.” Tobin points to her computer screen.

Christen sighs. “No, I’m not reading your emails. I don’t want to be that kind of girlfriend. If you say nothing’s there, I trust you.”

This causes a small smile to form on Tobin’s lips. “I mean, you kinda already went through my emails anyway.”

Christen’s hands shoot up defensively. “I didn’t! Your computer automatically signed you in! It was an accident I swear. I didn’t read anything other than her name at the top of the message.”

Tobin chuckles a bit at Christen’s animated reaction. “It’s ok. I know you didn’t mean to.”

A beat passes before Christen continues. “So what did you tell her?”

Tobin shrugs “I said I’d think about it and get back to her. The shoot’s in Texas in a few weeks so I’d have to take some time off work. It’s not really how I wanted to spend my vacation days, but I guess it’s a trade off for how much they’d be paying me.”

Christen nods along, watching as Tobin bites the inside of her cheek nervously.

“Hey, you should come with me!” Tobin says excitedly.

“Oh Tobin, I....” Christen tries to deter her but Tobin interrupts, too overcome by excitement to contain her idea.

“No, it would be perfect! I’d work during the day and you could even write an article about the organization, then we’d hang out at night. We could turn it into a working vacation! We should get Jill in on this and maybe the company would even be able to pay of the travel expenses.”

Christen can tell Tobin’s genuinely excited about this prospect and smiles at how giddy she is. A small smile forms on Christen’s lips and she relents. “I’ve never been to Texas...”

Tobin launches herself into the bed, wrapping Christen up in a hug and peppering kisses all over her face and neck. “Oh this is gonna be so much fun! And don’t worry, things with Alex will be totally cool. It’s been so long, all that stuff between us is way in the past. I bet she doesn’t even remember it.”

Christen nods in agreement, but a tiny itch of uncertainty still balls in her stomach. She knows she can trust Tobin and her intentions, but she can’t say the same for Alex. She forces herself to let this gut feeling sit on the back burner, but will be keeping her guard up during their trip, just in case Alex’s intentions aren’t completely altruistic.

***

After looking over their schedules and deciding on the right approach to present the idea to Jill, Christen and Tobin feel pretty good about their chances of getting the time off for the project when they walk in Monday morning. By mid-morning, Christen had gotten no real work done, instead she was anxiously playing out the multitude of ways this conversation could go wrong inside her head.

When Jill finally calls them into her office, Christen had worked herself up into a knot, but when she sees Tobin casually strolling toward her with that breezy smile, Christen’s nerves instantly settle. They exchange knowing smiles and walk into Jill’s office, shutting the door behind them and take their seats in front of Jill’s desk.

“Good morning ladies. I hear you have a new idea to pitch to me. Let’s hear it.” Jill says, removing her glasses and leaning back in her chair.

Christen and Tobin look toward each other, having a silent conversation as to who should speak first. Tobin nods her head for Christen to take the lead.

Christen clears her throat and begins “Well, as you know, I’ve been wanting to start covering more serious stories for a while now and I think our audience has grown enough that we need to start expanding our breadth of news coverage.”

Christen pauses to make sure Jill was following along. Jill simply nods for her to continue.

“Well Tobin was presented with kind of a unique opportunity over the weekend...” Christen trails off so Tobin can pick back up the pitch.

“Er...Yeah. An old friend of mine works for a nonprofit organization that supports migrant workers in Texas and she approached me to do some photography for their website and for promotional stuff...”

Christen picks back up on Tobin’s train of thought “And we were thinking this might be a good way to start getting our name out there with more serious stories. I’d interview people from the organization and some of the workers who’ve benefited from their programs, and Tobin could take photos of the trip and the people we talk to. I think it could be a great piece.”

They sit in silence as Jill mulls over all this information, looking back and forth between the women as if sizing them up. “So what do you need from me?” She asks flatly.

Christen, ever the planner, takes the lead on this one. “The shoot would happen in a couple of weeks with the nonprofit so we’d need about five days, a week tops, to get in all the interviews and allow time for travel. I’d schedule everything else...”

“But you want travel and lodging expensed to us.” Jill chimes in.

Tobin speaks up. “Ideally, Yeah. But we’ll probably just end up taking those days off for personal vacation to go down there if not, so you might as well get a story out of it.”

“And I don’t suppose I can send any other pair of photographers and writers huh? Convenient.” Jill laughs a little at this.

Tobin and Christen look at each other nervously, neither able to read what Jill’s thinking.

Jill leans forward, lacing her fingers together on top of her desk. “Ok, I’ll make a deal with you. Your articles have been getting a lot of traffic on our site lately, so I think you’re right that you should start having more responsibilities given your recent success. And Tobin, sounds like we wouldn’t have this opportunity without you, so we’re stuck with you as a photographer.” Jill teases, causing Tobin’s cheeks to redden in embarrassment.

“I want to make this clear, this isn’t a couple’s vacation. I want good work out of both of you so if whatever’s going on between you two personally distracts from your work, I can guarantee you won’t be completing anymore projects together in the future. Is that clear?”

“Yes” both women say in unison.

“Ok good. Christen, send me your travel itinerary when you get it finalized and hotel accommodations so we know where to find you.”

“Actually, my friend offered for us to stay with her, so we might not need a hotel.” Tobin chimes in.

Christen looks over at Tobin, confused. Tobin hadn’t mentioned this piece of information before. She makes a mental note to ask Tobin about this after they’re done with Jill.

Jill continues. “Well wherever you end up staying, I’ll still need an address and person to contact while you’re there so someone is accountable for you.”

Christen and Tobin nod silently, still dumbfounded that Jill had gone along with their plan so easily.

“Don’t you two have some planning to do? The sooner I get that information the better.” Jill says, shooting them out of her office.

Christen and Tobin awkwardly get up, thanking Jill profusely as they shuffle out. They walk the short distance to Christen’s office, both holding back smiles until they are safely behind the closed door and drawn blinds. Once the door closes behind them, they both let out a squeal.

“Oh my god, that went way better than I expected.” Christen gushes

“I know! Oh man, I’m really excited now. I should probably email Alex and tell her what’s going on.”

“Speaking of which, you didn’t tell me Alex offered for you to stay at her house.”

“Oh...uh, I guess it just didn’t seem like a big deal so I must have forgotten to tell you.”

“You don’t think that’s kinda weird? Staying with her in her house? Does she even know I’m coming? I don’t want to just invite myself into a stranger’s home.”

“I mean, no, I haven’t told her about you coming yet. I wanted to talk with Jill first and kinda finalize everything before getting back to Alex. I’m sure it’s not a problem though.”

Christen tilts her head, giving Tobin an incredulous look.

“Ok ok, I’ll tell her you’re coming and politely decline the invitation to stay at her house.”

“Thank you.”

Tobin leans in to place a swift kiss on Christen’s cheek. “Anything for you babe.”

***

After solidifying plans and making arrangements, they fly into Austin two weeks later and find a driver waiting for them when they walk into baggage claim.

Christen looks to Tobin “A driver? Fancy.”

Tobin laughs, shaking her head. “It’s not like it’s a limo, it’s just a regular car. Alex thought it would be easier if they just drop us off at the hotel and we could meet her there.”

“Can’t wait.” Christen says under her breath as they walk toward the driver, luggage in tow.

The drive to the hotel is fairly quick and uneventful. Christen clutches onto Tobin’s hand, hoping her physical presence will calm the nerves she’s feeling. After checking in, they go up to the room to unload and look at their view overlooking the river. “Look at all the people paddle boarding and kayaking. That looks awesome!” Christen points out the people gliding across the water.

Tobin comes up behind her, wrapping her arms around Christen’s waist, kissing the exposed skin of her neck. “Maybe we can do that after a shoot one day. I wouldn’t mind seeing you in a bathing suite.”

Their conversation is interrupted when Tobin’s phone vibrates abruptly in her pocket. She unfurls herself from Christen and retrieves the phone to answer it.

As Tobin talks, Christen starts making herself at home, unpacking and refolding clothing into drawers so she doesn’t feel like she’s living out of her suitcase for their visit. She pops into the bathroom to check out the amenities and smiles at the double showerhead, thinking that might come in handy later.

When she comes back out, Tobin’s off the phone. “That was Alex. She’s downstairs.”

The uncertainty must have been apparent on Christen’s face, causing Tobin to look at her with concern. She comes over, grabbing her hands and squeezing them gently. “Hey, you don’t need to be nervous. If anything I should be nervous. I’m the one who slept with her.”

Christen gives her a scolding look.

“Ok, sorry, not funny.” Tobin apologizes half heartedly. “Come on. I think you’re great, she’ll think you’re great. I promise it’ll be fine. I love you.”

Christen bobs her head in understanding and accepts a reassuring kiss from Tobin “I love you too.”

When they make it into the lobby, they both look around for the woman, but Christen doesn’t really know who she’s looking for. She’d never actually seen what Alex looks like, all she knew was that she was a tallish brunette with blue eyes, but that description seemed to match half the people in the lobby. It isn’t until she notices someone waving them down that she realizes oh, that’s Alex.

Christen can feel the lump in her throat refuse to go down when she swallows hard. Christen assumed Alex was probably at least a seven or eight, but damn, Tobin hadn’t let on just how good looking she is. As Christen looks her over, she can’t help but think that it’s no wonder Tobin couldn’t get over this girl, she’s flawless. The reassurance she had felt in the room quickly diminishes as the woman approaches the pair.

“Tobin? Oh my god, I can’t believe it’s you! You look just like I remember you.” She says enthusiastically as she wraps Tobin up in a tight hug.

“Nah, I’ve definitely put on a few pounds since then. Life of an office job.” Tobin jokes, pulling out of the hug to pat her stomach.

Alex smiles and looks her over. “No way, you still look amazing.”

Not liking how this conversation is unraveling, Christen clears her throat from behind Tobin. Tobin gets the hint. “Oh! Alex, this is my girlfriend Christen.”

Christen takes a step forward to shake Alex’s hand. “Ah the famous Christen. I’ve heard so much about you already.” Alex says

“Only good things I hope.” Christen jokes

“Definitely.” Alex confirms, looking her over.

The three stand together wordlessly a moment before Alex chimes in. “Well I hope I gave you guys a chance to get settled in, but I wanted to take you out to dinner and show you the town a little before we go out to the site tomorrow.”

Tobin nods along “Yeah that sounds great.”

Alex claps her hands together “Perfect! Alright, get ready to be wined and dined.”

***

Alex takes them to a trendy restaurant just outside of downtown, stating that only locals come out this way. They drink craft cocktails and eat small plates with ingredients Christen had never heard of. Alex keeps them entertained, telling stories about her travels and insights about the nonprofit. She’s funny and considerate, and Christen can see why Tobin fell for her all those years ago. Christen steals glances of Tobin sitting next to her, and finds her completely engulfed in every story, participating when she has an insight here and there. Christen on the other hand, remains relatively quiet, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Alex.

“So Christen, Tobin says you’re a writer. That’s pretty awesome.” She says in an attempt to get Christen more involved in the conversation.

“Yeah. I actually started out as a psych major in college cus I thought I wanted to be a therapist, but then I took a journalism class and I loved it, so I switched majors the next semester. Turns out there’s actually a lot of overlap. When I write pieces about people it’s mostly just figuring out what makes them tick.”

Alex smiles “Oh man, don’t go psychoanalyzing me when you interview me later. I don’t need all my crazy written out online for everyone to see. I pay good money to keep that between me and my shrink.” Alex jokes.

Christen laughs along. “Ok, I’ll try my hardest.”

The check comes and Alex insists on taking care of it, pulling it away from both women before they’re able to protest too much. Once outside of the restaurant, the trio stand on the dark sidewalk illuminated only by the lights from inside the restaurant. Tobin wraps an arm around Christen who is happy to lean into the strong shoulder of Tobin, tilting her head to rest there.

Alex turns toward the pair, looking them over. “You guys aren’t tired from traveling and being carted around all day are you?” Alex asks with a smirk.

Tobin tries and fails to stifle a yawn. “I think we should probably call it a night and get some sleep. Thanks for dinner and showing us around.”

“Yeah of course! I’m glad we got some time together before the real work begins.” Alex smiles. “Why don’t I drop you guys off at the hotel...”

Christen interjects. “No, you’ve been really accommodating already Alex. We can just get an Uber to the hotel from here.”

Alex looks at them skeptically but relents and agrees. “Ok, but I’ll come pick you up in the morning to take you out to the site. It’s a little bit of a drive so I’ll swing by around 7:30 so we can get an early start. That sound ok?”

The women nod in agreement and say their goodbyes before Alex separates from the couple to walk to her car.

Christen exhales in a long sigh, finally able to relax alone with Tobin.

“That wasn’t so bad.” Tobin says as she types into her phone to order a ride.

“No, you’re right. Alex is great. I can see the appeal...you didn’t mention how beautiful she is by the way.” Christen chuckles.

“Well, she’s got nothing on you.” Tobin says, placing a kiss to Christen’s temple.

“Yeah, ok.” Christen says sarcastically.

Tobin shakes her head, wrapping her arm around Christen’s waist and pulls her in close. “Now lets get my pretty girl to bed.”

Christen grins widely “I’ve been waiting for you to say that all day.”

****

7:30 comes early the next morning and Christen and Tobin barely have time to grab coffee from the hotel before Alex is waiting for them outside.

The conversation during the long car ride isn’t as lively as dinner the night before, so much of it is spent sipping coffee and listening to early morning talk radio.

After a while Alex pulls off the main road onto a more secluded country road that zig-zags through farmland until they leave the road completely and travel down a long dirt drive. Alex throws the car in park and turns toward her passengers “We’re here.”

Christen looks out the window, confused. “Where exactly is ‘here’?”

Alex gets out of the car and Tobin and Christen follow suit. “This is where a lot of the workers call home while they’re here.”

Christen looks around at the group of run-down trailers and mobile homes sitting in the vacant field. Alex continues her explanation. “A lot of the guys who come here to work don’t get permanent housing cus it’s expensive and they’re afraid of being deported, so they essentially squat here together during the season. They share the trailers between 12 of them and take turns sleeping between shifts.”

“Wow. That sounds rough.” Tobin comments, already fishing out her camera from her backpack to take pictures.

“You haven’t even seen the inside of the trailers yet. 12 men with no running water for 3 months at a time can make a place pretty unlivable. But this is their only option, so here they are.”

“That’s incredible. How is this legal for the farmers to let them live like this?” Christen wonders aloud.

“I mean, technically it’s not legal. They get paid under the table, so it’s an unspoken agreement that the workers don’t report the farmers and the farmers don’t report the workers. That’s why farmers are able to pay them so little and treat them so poorly.” Alex reasons. “Which is where we come in. We make sure they at least have food and water out here and try to set them up with permanent housing while they’re here. We also work with a legal team to get them work visas so they can work here legally and stop this cycle they get trapped in.”

Tobin and Christen stand in awe, trying to wrap their minds around this operation. Finally, Tobin chimes in. “So what are you wanting me to take pictures of?”

Alex continues “I want to bring awareness to the way these workers are being treated and the sacrifices they’re making to work here in these awful conditions. Something needs to change so these people are treated like humans instead of dollar signs. I was thinking we can start with their trailers and the guys who are here today, and move out into the farms later on. I’m not sure how well the farmers will react to their operations being photographed, but I have a secret weapon up my sleeve that might help convince them to let us do it.”

“What’s your secret weapon?” Tobin asks

“Being hot.” Alex says simply.

Christen wants to scoff and roll her eyes, but she knows it’s probably true, so she goes along with it. She has a feeling Alex has probably been using this ‘secret weapon’ for a long time for a lot of different reasons.

“So while you guys are doing that, can I just pull some of the guys aside that are willing to talk to me and get their input for my article?” Christen asks.

“You can if you speak Spanish.” Alex says matter of factly.

“Oh, uh I speak a little. I haven’t had to use it for a while so I’m probably pretty rusty.” Christen feels suddenly self conscious of her lack of forethought about how to conduct her interviews.

“Oh, well if you want, I can just come with you and act as translator. The guys know me too, so it would probably be good for them to have a familiar face with them while they’re talking to you.” Alex offers.

Tobin smiles at this. “You finally learned Spanish huh?”

Alex grins at Tobin “Turns out translators can make a mess of things sometimes, so I wanted to be able to talk to people without the middleman. Maybe I’ll teach you some so you can smooth-talk people in two languages like you always wanted.” She says with a wink.

Christen’s lips turn down at this flirtatious quip, but when she looks over to Tobin, she doesn’t seem to be bothered by it. Christen interjects to break up the moment between them. “Thanks Alex, I’d really appreciate the help.” She tries to mask the frustration in her voice.

Alex pulls her gaze from Tobin to direct her attention back to Christen. “Yeah, whatever you need. I’m happy to help.”

***

They spend the rest of the day talking with workers as they come in from the farms. Some of them are more willing to talk than others, but Alex does a good job of easing their worries and breaking through their hesitation. Tobin also gets some shots of the workers and their living quarters. She tries to be respectful of their space, but also wants to show exactly the type of living situation they’re in to really drive home how much help they need.

After a long day, the trio pile into Alex’s car and make the drive back into town. As they reach the city limits, Alex proposes an idea. “Hey, instead of going back to the hotel, would you guys want to come over to my place and relax and eat dinner, kinda debrief the day?”

Tobin turns around from her spot in the passengers seat to confer with Christen. “That sounds fun! What do you think babe?”

Christen can’t put her finger on it, but she just isn’t quite comfortable with Alex yet. There’s something unsettling about the way she looks at Tobin and the flippant flirtatious remarks she directs toward her girlfriend. Christen rationalizes that it’s probably just her personality, but she can’t quite calm the tinge of jealousy she feels.

“Chris? What do you say? Want to hang out at Alex’s for a bit?” Tobin reiterates, pulling Christen from her inner monologue.

“Uh, yeah I guess we could do that.” She responds hesitantly.

“Alright cool. Thanks babe.” Tobin reaches back to squeeze Christen’s knee affectionately.

Christen sighs, hoping that spending more time with Alex and getting to know her better will quell some of the anxiety she feels about the woman.

***

When they finally make it through the city and into Alex’s neighborhood, Christen can tell that their destination is a far cry from the trailers they’d been working in all day. The houses are well maintained with high-end cars resting in their driveways. When they finally pull up to one of the houses, Christen can’t help but gawk at how nice the house his. It’s a decent sized two story built with limestone and large windows that overlook the well manicured front lawn. Like everything else Alex has shown them thus far, it’s very trendy.

“Home sweet home.” Alex says as she gets out of the car, leading the pair inside.

“Your house is beautiful.” Tobin says distractedly as she looks around the inside.

“Thanks. It was kinda run down when I bought it but I love the location so I’ve spent the last couple years fixing it up. It’s been like a little pet project.” Alex says

“So do you live here alone or...” Tobin draws out in a questioning tone.

“Oh, right. Last time we really talked I was still with my boyfriend...” Alex wonders aloud.

Tobin cringes. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t know.”

Alex brushes it aside. “No, it’s fine. Funny story actually, we ended up dating for a few years after we got back together and were planning on getting married, but I ended up breaking it off with him. He just wasn’t ‘the one’ you know? So I moved out and bought this house and just been living the single life.”

“Well that’s cool that you bought this house yourself.” Christen offers to try and change the subject.

“Yeah, my job has been good to me. It’s hard work, but it’s rewarding and the pay isn’t too bad either.” She adds, shaking her head before changing the subject. “Ok enough about me, I’m starving. What do you guys say to ordering pizza and drinking some of the wine I got in Chile last winter?”

One pizza and several glasses of wine later, the trio sit outside on the patio near Alex’s pool chatting. Well, Tobin and Alex were chatting, but Christen was mostly just listening to them reminisce about stories from their travels.

“Oh my god, do you remember that night that creepy old man was hitting on me?” Tobin asks through a fit of laughter.

“Yeah! Neither of us could figure out how to tell him to fuck off in Spanish. We must have looked like were we’re doing charades or something.” Alex laughs, clutching her stomach. “I finally just had to go over and make out with you to get the message across!”

Tobin cackles “No sir, I’m definitely not interested! Look at me being super gay!” She mocks.

Christen sips her wine quietly, chewing on her lip to mask the frustration on her face. Tobin must notice her lack of involvement in the conversation, and she looks over to Christen. “Hey, how are you holding up? You seem kinda out of it.”

Christen shakes her head. “Fine. I’m good. Where’s your bathroom Alex?” Christen says shortly.

“There’s one inside down the hall to the left of the kitchen. Can’t miss it.” Alex points in the direction of the house. “Actually, I’ll just show you. I need a fill up anyway. Tobin you want more wine?” Alex stands up grabbing her glass.

“No I’m good. Thanks though.” Tobin indicates, lifting her glass.

“Alright, come with me.” Alex leads Christen across the patio in toward the house.

Once inside, Alex closes the patio door and goes over toward the kitchen counter, setting her glass there to grab another bottle of wine. “Hey hold up.” She calls out toward Christen.

Christen spins around, standing across the island from Alex as she uncorks the new bottle. “You ok? You seem like you’d rather be anywhere but here right now.”

“Yeah, no I’m fine. Just tired. It’s been a long day.” Christen tries to deflect.

Alex looks at her skeptically “No, there’s something else going on. I know it’s kinda weird hanging out with the girl who previously fucked your girlfriend.” Alex pulls the cork from the bottle with a loud pop.

Christen’s brow furrows at this. “I mean, it was a long time ago. It’s not like there are still feelings there.” Christen reasons.

Alex gives a noncommittal shrug and pours herself a glass.

“There aren’t any feelings still there right?” Christen clarifies.

Alex lets out a sigh. “Tobin was...is...really special. She probably has no idea, but I’m not sure I ever really got over her.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Christen asks defensively.

Alex takes a long sip of wine. “I thought seeing her would give me some closure, but when I first saw her at the airport, all those unresolved feelings came rushing back. It’s just kinda hard seeing her again. I know this is probably really weird to be telling you this, but I just want it out on the table.”

Christen leans back, still somewhat confused about Alex’s motives for telling her this.

Alex continues “She gushed about you the whole time we were planning this trip. I thought I would meet you and hate you or resent you or something, but I can tell you make her really happy. I can’t hate you because of that. I just want you to know, I’m not trying to steal her away from you or anything, but Tobin can be kind of oblivious about these things and I just don’t want you to feel like she’s falling for my trap or whatever. She’s just a friendly person.”

“She is kind of oblivious sometimes.” Christen concedes.

Alex laughs. “Yeah. But it’s endearing. It’s what makes Tobin, Tobin.”

Christen silently agrees, nodding along.

“Are you mad?” Alex asks meekly

Christen hesitates, contemplating her answer “No. I kinda had a feeling you weren’t asking Tobin to come out here just because of her photography skills. It’s kind of relieving actually to know that I wasn’t just making it up in my head like a crazy jealous girlfriend.”

Alex nods with a small laugh. “I admit, my intentions weren’t entirely altruistic at first, but don’t worry, like I said, I’m not gonna try and seduce your girlfriend.”

“Better not. You had your turn already.” Christen jokes

Alex’s smile falters “I know.” She says wistfully.

They stand silently across from each other letting the dust settle. Finally Christen speaks up “So where’s that bathroom again?”

Alex lets out a small laugh. “Down that hall to the left. Can’t miss it.” Before Christen starts down the hall, Alex calls out, “Hey, so are we good?”

Christen turns back around, looking Alex over. “Yeah. We’re good. Are you good?” Christen asks

Alex nods “I’m getting there.”

Christen finishes up in the bathroom and goes to join Tobin again on her lounge chair on the patio. She crawls up Tobin’s body, laying against her and relaxing into her warmth.

Tobin brings her arms around Christen and runs her fingers through her dark locks. “Hey, you ok? You guys were in there a while.”

“Yeah, we were just talking.”

“About me?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Tobin places a kiss on top of Christen’s head. “Chris, I’m not dumb. I know this isn’t the most comfortable situation for you, and Alex flirting with me probably isn’t helping the situation. I just want you guys to be cool. I know I’m, like, super irresistible and I don’t blame you for fighting over me, but just keep it civil ok?” Tobin teases.

Christen laughs. Maybe Tobin isn’t as oblivious as she lets on. “No we’re good, don’t worry. I claimed you so you’re stuck with me.”

Tobin lets out a quick laugh. “Sounds good to me.”

Alex comes back outside wearing a more casual outfit of leggings and an oversized T-shirt. “Hey, so not to kick you guys out or anything, but I’m kicking you out. I’m about to crash and I don’t want you getting stranded out here while I’m passed out inside.”

Christen sits up from her spot on the chair, smoothing out her shirt and hair. “No, we should get out of your hair. We have a busy day tomorrow so we should let you get some sleep.”

“Yeah, thanks for having us over and feeding us and getting us drunk.” Tobin laughs.

“Speak for yourself, I can hold my liquor.” Christen jabs

Alex chuckles. “Really, I was happy to have you guys over. It’s good to have company every once and a while.”

“Alright, I’m gonna order a ride and then you can pass out. You need us to tuck you in?” Tobin teases

“I see your jokes haven’t gotten any better.” Alex retorts

“That’s her A-game too.” Christen adds

Alex winces sarcastically. “Oo l, guess I dodged a bullet after all. Good luck with that Christen.”

“Hey! I have great jokes. Lots of people think I’m funny.” Tobin protests.

“Your mom doesn’t count.” Christen teases

Alex laughs. “Now that’s a joke. You could learn a thing or two from her Tobs.”

Their ride gets there and after planning a schedule for tomorrow’s excursion, Tobin and Christen head back to the hotel and fall into bed, exhausted from the physically and emotionally draining day. As they lay atop the comforter face to face, Christen hums contentedly with her eyes closed, feeling Tobin’s fingers glide across the skin of her hips and waist. “Mm I like this.” Christen murmurs.

“Me too.” Tobin smiles. “I’m so tired already and we still have three days left of this.”

“You gonna make it?”

“I will as long as you and Alex keep getting along. It was exhausting acting like everything’s cool and normal when it was actually really tense and uncomfortable.” She chuckles.

Christen laughs too, thinking back on the beginning of the trip. “No we’re fine. I mean, I don’t think we’re gonna be best buddies or anything, given her situation, but I think we understand each other and we’re cool.”

Tobin looks at Christen, puzzled. “What do you mean ‘given her situation?’”

Christen hadn’t realized she’d let that information slip out so she quickly tries to cover. “Oh, I mean that she’s single and your ex, and we’re together and happy. I just think there’s a lot of potential for awkwardness that we’ll have to navigate around.”

“Hm. Yeah I guess. Well it seemed like you guys were getting along tonight, that’s good.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty cool. I think it’ll get easier.”

Tobin nods thoughtfully “Good. I think this trip will be good.”

Christen senses that Tobin’s vague response is probably alluding to a deeper meaning. Maybe she’ll finally have some closure with Alex, maybe it’ll be good for her to feel that sense of peace about it. But Christen doesn’t bring it up, instead she nods along, letting her eyes close so that sleep can overtake her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been having some serious writers block lately and can’t seem to get motivated to put my ideas on paper. Just a fair warning if the next chapter takes a while to come out. I appreciate everyone who’s been keeping up with the story! Any thoughts? Concerns? Predictions?


	17. Saw You In A Dream

The next two days are packed to the brim. Tobin and Christen dutifully follow Alex as she flirts her way into getting pictures and interviews with unsuspecting farmers who have hired out the migrant workers. She’s so good at charming them, they don’t even realize they’ve been ousted until long after the trio have left with all the information they could ever want.

By the end of the last day, the three are wiped out as Alex drives them back to their hotel. Tobin sits in the back seat, scrolling through her viewfinder looking at pictures she’d taken earlier that day, while Christen sits up front with Alex, listening to the quiet lull of the radio as they drive back into the city. Christen watches out the window as rows of crops speed by, lost in thought, until Alex breaks the silence.

“So did you still want me to do an interview with you?”

Christen’s shaken from her trance and fumbles to respond. “Oh...yeah! Absolutely. I’m sorry, I thought maybe you’d be so sick of us by the end of this and you might not want to.” Christen attempts to joke.

Alex smiles lightly at this. “No, I was kinda looking forward to it actually.... I really want to be a part of this.” Alex divulges.

Caught off guard by Alex’s enthusiasm, Christen nods her head along at a loss for words. “Ok...cool. Um, Do you want to do it over drinks at the bar in the hotel?”

“Yeah that sounds perfect. I could use a drink, it’s been a long day. Just promise not make me look bad, I can get a little mouthy after a couple beers.” Alex offers with a smirk.

Christen laughs along. “Ok, I’ll do my best. I’ll give you some softballs, don’t worry.”

“You want me to take any pictures of the interview?” Tobin chimes in from the back seat.

Christen spins around, catching Tobin’s gaze. “Actually, I was thinking it could be just me and Alex. Is that ok?”

Tobin looks like she wants to challenge this for a split second, but decides against it, nodding her head. “Yeah, of course. Wouldn’t want to ruin ‘the process’.” she teases playfully.

Christen reaches back to smack her on the on the knee and the women share a playful smile.

When they pull up to the hotel, Alex opts to valet the car and the three walk into the lobby together. Tobin turns toward the other two women as they make it to the elevator alcove. “So I guess I’ll go up to our room for a bit and relax while you guys work. Just don’t leave me hanging too long alright?”

Tobin leans in to place a sweet kiss to Christen’s lips, causing both women to smile.

“I’ll text you to come down when we’re done. We won’t be too long.” Christen reassures her.

Tobin nods to Christen, fighting to drag her eyes away from the deep green pools to acknowledge Alex standing alongside them. “Don’t let her be too hard on you. She can get intense with the questioning.” Tobin offers to Alex, elbowing her playfully.

Alex laughs “You’ve experienced this firsthand I’m guessing.”

“It comes out worse when she drinks.” Tobin mutters

“Uh oh, we need to be careful or we’ll be down here forever.” Alex quips

“Have fun.” Tobin waves as she enters the elevator, letting it close to take her several stories up.

  
Christen smiles, shaking her head at their not-so-private conversation. “Come on, lets go sit.”

The interview is professional for the most part. Christen tries to keep things on track and treat Alex just like any other interviewee, but after a drink and a round of questions about the nonprofit, the workers, the logistics, Christen and Alex veer off topic a little and Christen’s questions start probing into the more personal aspects or Alex’s job. She’s asking partially for the article, but partially because Alex still puzzles her.

“So what would you say made you choose this line of work?” Christen asks, still wondering how she even got into this business.

Alex takes a sip of beer, contemplating her answer. “I honestly just kinda fell into it. I studied abroad in college and met some contacts at this organization through my professors my senior year. I don’t know. I always liked to travel when I was younger, so working for this company was a great way to see new places and meet new incredible people. Things have calmed down a little since then. I’m more stationary these days.”

“How do you feel about it now?”

Alex shrugs. “I thought I’d hate it, but I kind of like having a more stable life now. I’m building a community around me... hopefully I’ll have a family too someday.” Alex swirls the last sip of beer in her glass as she looks into it, contemplative. Her eyes dart down into the bottom of her glass, looking sullen at this realization she’d just shared.

Feeling this shift in Alex’s mood, Christen asks another question to try and divert her attention. “So if you had one piece of advice to tell any future kids who want to get involved in this kind of stuff, what would you tell them?”

Alex chews the inside of her cheek while she thinks. As the thought comes to her, a small smile graces her lips and she downs the last of her drink. “Follow your heart, even if you’re young and dumb. It’s better to apologize for things you regret, than regret the things you never did.”

Christen watches as Alex’s wipes her mouth with the small cocktail napkin. She lets out a sigh and her eyes shift around the bar, avoiding Christen’s watchful gaze. “Um, is that the last question?”

Christen nods her head vigorously, “Sure. Yeah, why don’t we stop there.” Christen grabs her phone off the table to stop recording and open her text window “Let me text Tobin and have her come down.”

She shoots off a text to Tobin, keeping an eye on the sullen brunette sitting across from her out of the corner of her eye. She sets her phone down and shifts her attention back to Alex. “Hey, you ok?” Christen asks

Alex looks up to meet Christen’s gaze. The sadness on her face is quickly covered by a forced smile, but her eyes remain fixed in a darker place, giving her away. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired or stressed or whatever.” She says unconvincingly. “Lets get another round before Tobin gets down here.”

“Ok sure.” Christen hesitantly goes along with her suggestion, hoping this will take her mind off of whatever storm is brewing in her mind. “Let me flag down the waiter.”

When the waiter makes his way over, Christen opens her mouth to order, but Alex quickly overtakes her. “Can we get two shots of Jameson and two more beers.”

Christen looks over at Alex, the apprehension apparent on her face.

Alex waves her off. “What? We’re celebrating.”

When he returns with their drinks, Alex grabs her shot glass lifting it up toward Christen, signaling for her to do the same. “To the future.”

“To the future.” Christen repeats less enthusiastically, clinking her glass with Alex’s.

Not really a fan of whiskey, Christen downs half the shot but sputters and coughs at the burning in her throat. She sets the glass down, wiping her mouth. “Ugh, can’t do shots anymore.” Christen laughs, hoping the joke will deflect attention away from her unwillingness to finish the drink in front of her.

It works and Alex simply shrugs her shoulders, taking the half empty glass from Christen and downing the remaining liquid easily. “More for me.”

The numb, vacant look in Alex’s eyes makes Christen think that maybe letting Alex get drunk wasn’t the way to go this time. But it’s too late now.

To her relief, Tobin eventually joins them down in the bar. “Hey, did you guys have fun without me?”

“We are two drinks in, so you should probably catch up.” Christen states, offering a seat at the table.

They sit around the table for a while listening to a singer-songwriter playing in the corner, letting conversation flow over the music. They’re by far the youngest group there, and the only women, so they garner some attention from passing hotel guests and old businessmen sitting at the bar, stealing glances from their perch. But the trio don’t seem to notice.

The insertion of Tobin seems to lighten Alex’s mood significantly and she’s quickly laughing and involved in conversation again. Christen’s relieved by this, feeling somewhat guilty for dragging Alex’s mood down unwittingly.

After their round is finished, Christen gets up, wobbling a little bit, not realizing how much she’d actually had to drink. “Hey, do you guys want one more round before we call it a night?”

Tobin and Alex agree enthusiastically, both obviously enjoying this night of recklessness. Christen laughs at the pair before turning to make her way toward the bar. As she walks over, Christen decides to make a pit stop in the bathroom before going back to the bar.

She pops in the hotel bathroom, laughing a little at how fancy it is. She never understood why bathrooms had foyers with carpet and sofas. Who would want to hang out in the bathroom? She closes the heavy door to the stall and latches it closed, giving her some privacy.

However, she isn’t alone long. She hears the door to the bathroom swing open followed by rushing footsteps and hushed voices.

“Tobin, wait. Just listen.”

Christen’s eyes widen as she recognizes her girlfriend’s name rolling off the tongue of the familiar voice. She quietly slips her pants back up and peers between the slit of the door to see Alex and Tobin standing at the sink together. She wonders for a moment if she should make herself known, but she hesitates and before she’s able to make a decision, Alex advances toward Tobin suggestively, effectively making the decision for Christen. To avoid the awkward and uncomfortable confrontation, Christen remains in her spot, feeling guilty for watching this interaction without their knowledge.

She watches as Alex reaches to sweep her fingers along Tobin’s cheek, but Tobin grabs it, steadying her hand to put it back to the brunette’s side. “Alex. You need to stop.”

Alex takes a step closer, looking Tobin up and down seductively. “I don’t want to.” Alex leans in, grabbing Tobin from behind the neck, pulling her into a forceful kiss.

Christen covers her mouth to hold in a gasp. She wants to move, but she’s frozen to the spot, watching helplessly as her worst fear unfolds in front of her. But before the shock has a chance to turn into anger, Tobin pushes Alex away forcefully.

“Alex! Stop!” The firmness in Tobin’s voice as she reprimands Alex isn’t something Christen had ever heard before.

Alex pulls away, curling into herself as she runs her hands down her face, clearly distraught. “I don’t know how! I don’t want to have these feelings, but I can’t help it! I can’t stop thinking about you. Just give me a chance, please” Alex’s eye’s brim with tears as she pleads with Tobin, grabbing her hands.

Tobin lets out a deep sigh. “Alex... ” Tobin pulls her hands from Alex’s grasp to run her fingers through her own hair, collecting her thoughts. She lets out a sarcastic laugh. “I waited so long for you to feel the same things for me that I felt for you.”

Alex remains quiet, waiting for Tobin to give her something, anything. Tobin pulls away from Alex, letting out a groan and begins pacing the bathroom. “It’s too late. I gave you years to come back, but you didn’t. I don’t know how many emails I sent that you never responded to. I spent so many nights crying over you. Getting over you was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life.”

“No, it’s not too late.” Alex offers in desperation.

Tobin shakes her head “Alex, it is. I’m happy now. I’m in love with Christen. She made me realize that love doesn’t have to be this heart-wrenching, brutal experience. She makes me happy without even trying. I never thought I could have that.”

Tears fall from Alex’s eyes, staining her cheeks black. Tobin approaches the brunette again, grabbing her elbow and giving her an affectionate squeeze. “And you deserve that too. I’m sorry I can’t be the one to give that to you, but there are plenty of people out there who can.”

Alex’s shoulders shake as she tries to hold back tears, unable to speak. Tobin continues “Alex, come on. I still love you, I’m just not in love with you anymore. I haven’t been for a while now...but I still want to be friends with you. I know you probably won’t be ready for that for a while, but I’ll be here when you are.”

Alex swallows hard, letting in a shaky breath. “I’m sorry. For everything. If I could go back and change it, I would. I never should have let you go.”

Tobin purses her lips, unsure how to comfort the woman before her.

Alex grabs a tissue from the countertop and blots her eyes, wiping her smudged mascara from under her eyes. “I should go. I need to get home.”

Tobin watches her with concern as the brunette walks away toward the exit. “Are you gonna be ok?” Tobin calls out weakly.

Alex pauses at the bathroom door, letting out a sigh before pushing through the door, leaving Tobin’s question unanswered.

Tobin groans and turns the faucet on, splashing some water over her face and blotting it dry with a towel before leaving the bathroom.

Christen lets out a long exhale, finally able to take a full breath. She unlatches the door and stops in front of the sink to wash her hands, taking a moment to process the exchange she’d just witnessed. She’s caught between two minds.

She can’t deny the anger and sense of betrayal she feels toward Alex. She’d let her guard down around the brunette, thinking their discussion in the kitchen several days ago was enough to set some boundaries and ease the sense of jealousy she felt about Alex and Tobin’s relationship. Alex had lead her to believe she was content to watch Tobin from the sidelines and Christen won’t soon forget this act of betrayal. But on the other hand, the exchange she’d witnessed all but solidified the fact that Tobin loves her, and despite all the history and all the chances she could have been with Alex, she’d chosen Christen. She wishes her declaration of love could have happened under different circumstances, but Christen can’t help the swell of pride and affection she feels for the woman regardless of the situation.

After taking a deep, calming breath, she leaves the bathroom and weaves her way through the bar to find Tobin sitting at their table again, alone. Tobin looks up from her phone to meet Christen’s gaze. “I thought you were going to get drinks?”

“Oh, uh... I changed my mind. I think I just want to go back upstairs and go to bed.” Christen deflects. “Where’d Alex go?” Christen asks to avoid suspicion.

“She wanted to go home, so she just left.” Tobin says nonchalantly, failing to make eye contact with Christen. She gets up from her seat and stretches. “Alright babe, you ready?”

They head up the elevator in silence, both lost in thought. Christen isn’t sure how to handle this situation, but can see that Tobin is obviously grappling with it internally. She decides to give Tobin some time to come around, hopeful that she’ll let Christen know what happened in her own words when she’s ready.

When they get into their room, the air is thick and Tobin shuffles about anxiously, looking noticeably wound up. Finally, before Christen can slip into the bathroom to brush her teeth, Tobin stops her. “Wait, Chris?”

“Yeah?” Christen spins around to face Tobin.

“Uh, I need to tell you something.”

“Ok...” Christen sits on the bed, watching as Tobin’s thoughts eat at her until she speaks. Tobin lets out a regretful sigh “Alex kissed me in the bathroom while you went to go get drinks.”

Christen pauses, pushing back the painful image, but she remains calm. “I know.”

Tobin’s brows furrow in confusion. “What do mean?”

“I saw you. I was in the bathroom stall while you guys were in there. I saw everything. I heard the whole thing.” Christen divulges, still uncertain how Tobin will react to being watched unknowingly.

Tobin pauses briefly, collecting her thoughts. “So you know I didn’t want it to happen and I turned her down.” Tobin questions. She doesn’t look upset or caught off guard, she just wants an answer.

Christen nods in confirmation. “I also heard the other stuff.” She says with a slight smile.

“The part about how much I love you?” Tobin asks, mirroring her smirk.

Christen nods again.

Tobin lets out a quiet chuckle. “Yeah, well don’t let it go to your head.”

Christen laughs and rolls her eyes, glad to have some of the tension broken. “So did you mean it?”

Tobin’s smile spreads across her cheeks and she makes her way over to sit next to Christen on the edge of the bed. She tilts Christen’s chin up with her index finger, guiding their lips together in a slow, lingering kiss. When they break apart, both women are a little breathless.

“I meant every word.” Tobin whispers against her lips.

They share another passionate kiss, expressing to each other what words just can’t capture; the bond between them sealed.

Christen suddenly feels Tobin’s lips spread in a smile against her own before Tobin breaks away suddenly. “Wait, what were you doing in the bathroom?”

Christen feigns offense, placing her hand over her chest with a scoff “I had to pee! You guys came in there before I finished. I couldn’t just walk out of the stall in the middle of that conversation!” Christen defends herself.

Tobin chuckles “Ok, yeah that would have been even more awkward.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to eavesdrop. I know that was probably a rough conversation. I can tell she really meant a lot to you.” Christen rubs Tobin’s back affectionately.

Tobin nods, picking at her cuticles distractedly. “It’s ok. I just wish I hadn’t been so hard on her.”

Christen shakes her head in disagreement “No, I think she needed to hear it. If you had been wishy-washy about it, she might have held on hope that you’d change your mind eventually. I know it probably stings right now, but it’s better than dragging it out.” Christen reasons.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Tobin relents, accepting her words of comfort.

Christen places a gentle kiss to Tobin’s cheek. “You’re a good person. Don’t ever think you aren’t. I love you.”

Tobin smiles, meeting Christen’s gaze. “I love you too.”

They meet for another brief kiss, a sign of their trust and understanding of one another.

“Now what do you say we take a shower and wash off the day. We still haven’t tried out that double shower-head.” Christen suggests playfully, trying to lighten the mood.

It works and Tobin chuckles along. “Double shower head huh? Maybe I’ll actually get some time in the water.”

“What? No, you’re the one that hogs all the water when we shower together!” Christen retorts, chasing Tobin into the bathroom.

***

The next morning, Alex sends Tobin and Christen an email to wish them safe travels home. She cites a hangover as the reason she can’t send them off in person, but Christen suspects she’s still licking her wounds from being rejected the night before and would rather not face Tobin in person again. She can’t blame her.

The couple get a ride to the airport and go through the motions of traveling, too physically and emotionally drained to keep up conversation. But Christen enjoys the silence, happy that they can be comfortable as they sit wordlessly next to each other on the plane, occupying themselves individually to help the time pass.

When they finally make it back to the city, Tobin offers her place to stay and Christen gratefully accepts, happy to be back in a familiar bed. She smiles at this thought, that Tobin’s apartment is starting to feel a little like home to her. She takes in the familiar scent of Tobin’s pillows that smell like her favorite laundry detergent with hints of the brunette’s shampoo. As Tobin slides into bed to scoot in behind her and wrap her up in her arms, Christen pulls her in closer, content and happy and fully in love.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a hard time writing this chapter. I wanted to give some closure to the Talex situation, but it was tricky finding a good way to do that without it being too cheesy. I felt bad for Alex as I was writing it, but then I thought, you know, not every story has a happy ending.


	18. True Love Waits

“Really incredible stuff Press. I’m really impressed with the article and I think some people at corporate are impressed too.” Jill gives Christen a wink from across her desk.

Christen sits in Jill’s office a couple weeks after the trip smiling widely that all her hard work had paid off. She spent a huge amount of time writing and editing and rewriting her story to be as genuine and interesting as possible and she was glad for it to finally be done with.

“Thanks Jill, I really wanted to do the story justice.” Christen concedes.

“Well I think you nailed it. I’m proud of you.”

Christen smiles lightly. She’s always had a hard time accepting compliments and praise.

“I hope you don’t mind, but corporate called me and wanted to know more about you, so we had a little chat.”

“Oh, no that’s ok. What did they want to know?”

“They were impressed with the article too. I think they just wanted to hear a little more about you.” Jill says with a light laugh.

Christen isn’t sure how to respond, so she laughs along awkwardly.

“Anyway, I gave them your email so you might be hearing from them soon.”

“Thanks Jill.” Christen says simply, not knowing what else to say.

“No problem. It was easy to brag about how great my lead writer is.” Jill smirks.

“Wait, lead writer?” Christen questions curiously

Jill nods with a mischievous grin “I wanted to make it official. You’ve basically been doing the job already, so I wanted to make sure you were getting paid accordingly. I just got the ok from HR to officially offer you the promotion. So what do you say?”

Christen smiles, nodding emphatically “Yes! Thank you!”

“Alright good deal. I’ll have HR send you over some new documents they’ll need you to sign, but other than that, enjoy the new gig lead writer.”

Christen exits the office beaming. She catches the eye of Tobin who had been conveniently hovering around Jill’s office the last few minutes and signals for her to follow her into the office. Tobin darts in behind Christen and shuts the door.

“So, what did she say?” Tobin asks anxiously

Christen can’t contain the smile on her face “She loved the article and offered me the lead writer job.”

“Chris! That’s amazing!” Tobin wraps Christen up in a tight embrace, lifting her up off the ground slightly.

“She also said corporate likes the story and to expect an email from them.”

“What does that mean?” Tobin questions

Christen shrugs “I’m not sure. I guess we’ll find out when they email me.”

Tobin smiles again, leaning in to kiss Christen briefly. “I’m so proud of you babe.”

“Thanks. I honestly couldn’t have done it without you. You set up the whole trip and listened to me bitch and stress about writing it the whole time. You deserve some praise too.”

Tobin chuckles. “Why don’t we go out and celebrate tonight. We can go get a nice dinner, have some wine, get tipsy on a week night.”

“Ooo we’re bad, such rebels” Christen jokes.

“What can I say, I like to live dangerously.” Tobin says as she steps into Christen, wrapping her arms around her waist to pull her in closer.

“Mm I always had a thing for bad girls.” Christen hums

***

Later that week, Christen gets an email from a project manager at corporate asking if they could discuss Christen’s recent work over the phone. They set up a time for the guy, Tim, to call her and chat. Christen waits anxiously at her desk for the phone call, too nervous to get up from her desk for fear of missing his call. Finally, her office phone rings.

“Hello, this is Christen.”

“Hi Christen, this is Tim, I emailed you earlier. I hope I didn’t make you wait too long.”

“Oh, no I’ve just been keeping busy. No worries.”

“Good, good. So do you have a few minutes to talk? I have some things to run by you.”

Almost 30 minutes later, Christen hangs up the phone, her mind swirling. She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, trying to collect her thoughts. She looks at the clock on her wall telling her there’s only an hour left of the work day, and tries to find something to keep her busy for the remaining time.

At some point, Tobin walks casually by her office to check on her, but Christen’s expression tells her nothing as she glances through the office window. Curiosity overtakes her, and Tobin knocks on the door, poking her head in.

“Hey, I know it’s a little early, but you wanna get out of here?”

Christen looks up from her computer to find that she’s spent the last 20 minutes staring blankly at an open email with a sentence and a half typed out.

“Yeah. I’m not gonna get anything else done while I’m here.” Christen reasons.

“You want to come over to my place?” Tobin offers. Her voice is gentle and hesitant, still trying to carefully read Christen’s mood, but to no avail.

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there. I just need to pack up.”

Tobin nods “Ok, I’ll see you in a bit. Love you.”

Christen looks up, shooting Tobin a grateful smile. “Love you too.”

At the apartment, Tobin greats her at the door with a warm hug and sweet kiss. “Hey you.”

She leads Christen inside as Christen shrugs off her briefcase and takes off her shoes by the kitchen table.

“Soooo...” Tobin says, hoping Christen will finally reveal what happened during her conversation with corporate hours earlier.

Christen takes a deep sigh and pulls out a chair from the kitchen table to sit down. “Corporate offered me a job.”

“Wow! That’s incredible!” Tobin notices the lack of enthusiasm on Christen’s face. “That’s incredible, right?”

Christen swirls her shirt in her fingers, looking down at her lap. “Yeah, I mean, it’s a great job. The salary is way more than I’m making here and they’d pretty much let me have free reign of the content I put out.”

Tobin leans back against the kitchen island across from Christen. “So what’s the problem?”

“It’s out in California.” Christen says flatly

“You love California! Your family’s out there. You’re always talking about how much you miss them.”

“But I’d have to leave here....I’d have to leave you.” She looks up from her lap, making eye contact with Tobin for the first time since she’d walked in, her eyes glistening with the start of tears.

Tobin pushes herself from the island and comes to kneel in front of Christen. “Babe...Hey, it’s ok. You wouldn’t be leaving me. We can make it work.”

“But it’s so far.” Christen fights to keep her voice from breaking.

“Nothing a quick little plane ride can’t take care of.” Tobin brushes the hands across Christen’s face, wiping the tears that had started to fall down her cheek. “Plus you’d have all your old friends and family there to keep you company, I bet you wouldn’t even miss me.”

Christen looks up to give Tobin a knowing look and is met with a playful gaze, but there’s a hint of sullenness in her eyes, as if she’s making light of the situation for both of their sakes, to mask to pain.

Tobin stands up, half leaning over to wrap her arms around Christen who remains sitting in her chair. “Chris, you shouldn’t miss an opportunity like this just because of me.”

The floodgates finally burst open and Christen sobs against Tobin. “I just feel like we finally got into a good rhythm and we’re doing so good... we’re just starting our life together.” Christen chokes out into Tobin’s shoulder.

Tobin sighs heavily, releasing Christen from her arms “Babe...” she starts, but the words catch in her throat briefly before she collects herself to start again. “Why don’t you just take a few days to think about it. I know there are lots of things to consider and I just want you to make the best decision for you. I’ll still be here, no matter what. I’d never forgive myself if you missed a great opportunity like this just because of me. Just promise me you’ll think about it.”

Christen nods, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Now come on, let’s order in and watch a movie or something. You need to get your mind off of this for a little while.” Tobin offers her hand to Christen and pulls her up from her seat. Christen giggles a little when they crash into each other, wrapping one another up in a tight bear hug. They stand like this for a while, the tightness of their embrace and the overwhelming scent of Tobin filling Christen’s senses. She relaxes slightly and pushes her anxieties out of her mind, just for the night—just long enough to enjoy this.

***

2 month’s later

Christen sets the last box of her belongings onto the kitchen counter, her arms tired and sore from the day of moving. She opens it up, rustling around inside for a glass, filling it up with tap water from the sink and chugging it down quickly. She fills it again, but this time sips it more casually as she meanders through her new home, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. She makes her way out to her balcony, taking a deep breath of the humid salty air that sends memories of her childhood rushing through her mind. She leans against the metal railing surveying the view of the sunset over the water and can’t help but let her thoughts come flooding in.

She thinks back through the events of the last few months that had lead her to this point. A bittersweet sense of autonomy and accomplishment washes over her, happy that she had made such a positive career move, but still mourning the loss of the potential life she and Tobin could have had together. Settling down had always been part of her plan, but after hours of back and forth with Tobin, her family, her friends, she was convinced that settling down could wait a few years.

In the small hours, huddled together on Christen’s couch one night, Tobin comforted Christen as they worked through the logistics of their soon to be long distance relationship through tears and sweet kisses. They scoured their calendars planning trips and carving out times to FaceTime with each other after work or on weekends. It made it feel more manageable, but still felt unfair that just as they had started to become accustomed to each other’s company, they were being ripped apart by miles and time zones.

A tear trails down Christen’s cheek and she brings her sleeve up to wipe it away and shoo away the memories. She pushes off the railing and heads back inside to grab her phone, calculating the time zone difference to make sure her call wouldn’t be too late.

The line rings three times and as she starts rehearsing a voicemail to leave, Tobin picks up “Hey baby.”

A wave of relief washes over her at the sound of her girlfriend’s voice. “Hey. It’s not too late is it?”

“No, it’s never too late for a call from you. How was moving day?” Tobin asks.

“Exhausting. I feel like my arms are gonna fall off.” Christen jokes.

“I hope not! I like those arms.”

Christen chuckles, moving some items aside so she can sit comfortably on her new couch “How was work?”

Christen can practically hear Tobin shrug over the phone. “It was ok. It’s weird walking by your office without you in it.”

“Any candidates for who gets it next?”

“I don’t think Jill trusts any of the photographers to have a room with a lockable door, so probably not any of us.” Tobin jokes.

“I wouldn’t trust any of you either. We were at least sneaky about it.” Christen reminisces, thinking back on all the heated exchanges they’d shared in the small office.

“Yeah, I’m gonna miss that office.” Tobin sighs dramatically.

“What are you up to tonight? You sound kind of out of breath or something.” Christen asks

“Oh...uh, I’m just taking a walk. Thought I’d go out and explore the city a bit.” Tobin responds, sounding a little distracted.

“This late? Tobin...”

“Don’t worry, I’m meeting someone. I won’t be alone. I’m safe, don’t worry love.” Tobin interjects, knowing Christen would worry about her.

“Ok...” Christen says, still somewhat uncomfortable with Tobin’s plan.

“What about you? Are you going out on the town tonight?” Tobin asks, changing the subject.

Christen lets out a long sigh “No, I’m in for the night. I’ll probably grab a bottle of wine, order in, and watch some tv or something.”

“That sounds really nice.” Tobin admits.

“I know, I wish you were here to do it with me.” Christen says wistfully.

“Me too.” A beat passes between them before Tobin speaks up again “Well I’m almost there so I gotta let you go. I’ll talk to you soon, ok? I love you.”

“Love you too. Talk to you later.”

The line goes dead and Christen drops the phone from her ear, not feeling any better than she had before talking to Tobin. If anything, she felt even more homesick. She leans back further into the couch, googling a nearby Chinese food restaurant she might be able to order from, hoping the heavily fried food will help lift her spirits. After perusing the menu and settling on her usual order, she calls it in and sets up her tv in the living room while she waits.

She doesn’t have to wait long and she soon hears a knock on the door. “Jeez they’re fast. What ever happened to LA traffic?” Christen mutters to herself as she frantically searches for her wallet. “Be right there!” She calls through the door.

Once she finds it, she grabs her wallet and hastily swings open the door. “Sorry, I...”

Christen’s words catch in her throat when her eyes finally shift to see the person standing in the doorway.

“Did you miss me?” Tobin says with her signature toothy grin, leaning casually in the doorway.

“Tobin...what...I...” Christen stammers, her brain and mouth not communicating with each other.

Words don’t come, but her body knows what to do and she falls into Tobin, wrapping her arms tightly around the woman’s shoulders. After a few moments, Christen pulls away, but only enough to crash her lips into Tobin’s, taking them roughly between her own. A spark of electricity courses through her body and it’s as if a string of Christmas lights had been turned on inside of Christen. She buzzes with excitement but feels equally calm in the embrace, finally feeling a sense of peace in Tobin’s arms.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Tobin lets out a breathy chuckle when they eventually break apart.

“Hi.” Christen says simply.

“Hi.” Tobin laughs back.

“What are you doing here?” Christen gets out finally.

“I was just in the neighborhood, thought I’d drop by and see the new place.” Tobin says playfully.

“I’m being serious, what are you doing here?” Christen asks, starting to come out of her initial shock.

“I’m being serious too. Can I come in and see the new place or are you going to make me stand out here all night?” Tobin retorts, still standing impatiently in the doorway.

“Oh, sorry...yeah of course.” Christen stands aside to let Tobin in.

Tobin slips inside, looking around at the new apartment. “This place is pretty big. We’re gonna have to buy some more stuff to fill it up.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Christen responds absentmindedly, still trying to figure out Tobin’s angle as she follows her around the apartment. “You never actually answered my question babe. What are you doing here?”

Tobin spins around with a cheeky grin on her lips “I wanted to check out the new place and make sure there’s enough room for me.” Tobin tries to suppress a hesitant grin as she walks toward Christen, who still looks just as confused as ever. Tobin stands before Christen and grabs her hands at her side, lacing their fingers together. “I want to come live here...with you.”

“Like move out here?” Christen clarifies softly, still trying to catch up and take in all this information.

Tobin nods

“But what about your job?”

“I was hoping I could convince the company to just transfer me out here. But if not, I can always go back to freelance work. I might actually like that better. That way I can make my own schedule and surf whenever I want and stuff.”

“You flew all the way out here just to ask if you could move in?”

“Well I was kinda hoping you would ask me to move out here with you, but you never did! Not gonna lie, at first I was kinda upset.” Tobin lets out a light chuckle. “I thought you didn’t ask me because you didn’t want me to come with you, but then I realized I was being stupid and you probably just didn’t want to ask me to drop everything and change my whole life for you.”

Christen nods with a small smile. “Yeah something like that.”

“I figured.” Tobin chuckles. “But Chris, you are my life now, a huge part of it anyway. I love you so much, more than I’ve ever loved anyone or anything. Living without getting to see you and hold you every day would be torture. You were the only reason I stayed in one place so long, and I don’t want to be stuck in one place without you there too.” Tobin squeezes Christen’s hands for reassurance and takes a deep breath. “So what do you say? Can I invite myself to move in with you?”

Christen grins widely, wrapping Tobin up yet again. “Of course I want you here! Yes!”

They stand together, taking in the feeling of each other. Christen buries her face into the crook of Tobin’s neck, claiming it as her favorite spot in the world as they sway back and forth silently to the tune of a song only they can hear.

Suddenly, there’s another loud knock on the door. “Are you expecting another girlfriend to come and desperately confess her love for you tonight?” Tobin quips.

Christen pulls away, giggling as she smacks the brunette lightly on the arm. “That must be my takeout.”

“Hope they have big portions, I haven’t eaten since I got here and I’m definitely stealing some.”

Christen and Tobin sit together on the couch, laughing and smiling at each other as they pick at the food resting in the styrofoam container on Christen’s lap. In a new city, in an unfamiliar apartment, with the woman she loves, Christen had never felt more at home.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get out this chapter. I wrote and re-wrote this chapter so many times, and I’ve been staring at it for so long, I’m not sure if it’s any good at this point. It’s kinda like when you say a word so many times and it stops sounding like a real word...I digress. Thanks for being so patient!


End file.
